Unwanted
by 494dwangel
Summary: See inside for full summary...sister-fic...very different from the usual
1. Chapter 1

'**Unwanted' -**

**Summary; In 'Jump the shark', instead of Adam, the Winchester brothers had got a call from a 12 yrs old girl, Lara Croft, daughter of Emma Croft and John Winchester. They suspected her at first to be some kind of trap but she gives them proof and they have to accept she's their half-sister. She didn't see John much, just a few times. She doesn't turn out to be a ghoul like Adam did. Set right after they get rid of the ghoul that killed her mum.**

Chapter 1 –

'No, Sam. She can't go with us. We can't look after her. We're in the middle of a damn war. She isn't our responsibility anyway.' Dean said in an angry voice.

'Dean, how can you say that? She's our little sister.' Sam sounded depressed.

Lara was sat on the stairs in her home, listening to her big brothers decide her future. Brothers that she hadn't known existed till four days ago. She felt sad and empty because now she was alone in the big, bad, monster-filled world. That she had also found out, four days ago. She had been oblivious to the real dangers in the world and how they affected her until her mum had disappeared and she had seen the monster that had taken her.

Lara knew she was taking her mother's death too well. She blamed this on the lack of connection and closeness she had shared with her mum, Emma Croft. The woman had never really had the time to spend with her daughter, instead preferring to blame Lara for screwing up her life by being born.

Lara didn't really know what she was going to do now. She didn't have friends and she didn't have any other family. When she had heard Sam mention that she would be going with them, she had felt relieved. She didn't know them but she knew she would at least be safe with them. She didn't care if they hunted monsters, she could handle that. She just couldn't handle being alone.

Lara had seen Dean give Sam a look. It had been a disgusted look. Although it was obvious that both brothers didn't like the fact that she existed, Sam was making an effort to be nice to her, that much she could tell. Sam had asked her to leave them both alone to talk for a few minutes. He told her that he'd come to get her when they had finished their talk. That had been an hour ago, so she had decided to come and check what was happening. In truth, she had been scared that they had already left without saying anything.

Lara tuned back into what they were saying. She sighed when she heard Dean snort.

'Yeah? She might be your sister but she ain't mine. Sammy, it's my job to look after you because you're my little brother…my family. But it isn't my job to look after her. She ain't my family.' Dean shouted.

Lara's heart sank and tears blurred her vision. She wasn't going to cry, damn it. She never cried. She was used to feeling unwanted. She had never been wanted by anyone. Why did it matter so much now? Maybe it was because, then she had someone but now she had no one. Her mother might have resented her existence but she had given her a home, a place to feel safe. Lara knew that now she would be placed in foster care or some god forsaken place like that.

She got up off the stairs and walked silently to her bedroom. She didn't want to die but she had no reason to live either. She couldn't go into foster care. She would rather die. She decided then that dying is what she would do. It would certainly be easier for everyone. With this renewed purpose, she marched into her room and found the one and only gift that her father had given her, a beautifully carved knife.

Ten minutes later, she was still sat on her bed clutching the knife with trembling hands. It had been easier to think about it. She knew it was hard to take one's own life. It shouldn't be but it was. She felt like a coward. Her tears were still falling. It wasn't the first time she had thought to end it all, the pain, the suffering, and the emptiness. But in the past, every time she had clutched this very knife in her hands for this purpose, there had been a voice inside her telling her that her patience will be rewarded, that she had to be strong. She hadn't doubted that voice until now.

'Lara…Lara…' Sam's voice filtered into her room. She panicked. She quickly hid her knife under her pillow and straightened up after wiping at her tears.

Sam walked into his newly-found little sister's room. He awkwardly looked around and then sat next to her on her bed. 'Erm…Dean and I think it would be best if you came to stay with us. As you know, we are hunters so we'll be on the road mostly. You don't have to worry about anything. So, just grab the things you'll need and then we'll hit the road.' He gave her a smile and got up to leave but she stopped him.

'What about school?' She asked.

Sam understood her tone for what it was. She didn't look worried at the prospect of missing school. 'I'll home-school you. I went to Stanford. You'll be fine.' He easily replied.

'What about Dean?' She inquired, hesitantly.

'What about him?' Sam asked nervously. He hoped she hadn't heard Dean. He knew that if she had then she would not be comfortable with them. And despite his own anger at her existence, he didn't want her to feel scared. The logical and rational part of him kept telling him that it wasn't her fault. She wasn't the one to blame here.

'Is he okay with me coming with you guys?' She knew he wasn't. He hated her. She was sure, he would be happy to pretend she didn't exist.

'Yeah, he's okay. You get ready now. Pack everything you'll need, okay? We'll be waiting out in the car.' Sam told her and left.

Lara grabbed hold of her knife and looked at it longingly. She sighed in defeat. Throwing it on her bed, she grabbed a few big bags and started to pack. Having finished packing after a few minutes of frenzied throwing of clothes and other things of necessity into the bags, she placed the knife in the smallest bag and zipped the bag shut. She then dragged all three bags she owned, which were now filled with her things, outside.

Sam saw Lara struggling to carry her bags out. She was just a kid, he reminded himself. He got out of the car, went up to her and took the bags out of her hands. He carried them over to the Impala and placed them in the trunk. He then motioned for her to get in the car.

As Lara got in the backseat of their awesome black car, she saw Dean's knuckles turn white on the steering wheel. She looked at his face and saw him looking ahead, with an angry expression. Lara didn't know why but she felt like crying.

Sam felt the silence and melancholy mood in the air surrounding him in the car. So, he tried to diffuse the tension by trying to argue with Dean about anything. However, after a few attempts he gave up because he realized his siblings weren't gonna talk.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 –

The Winchesters arrived at their intended destination, Bismarck, North Dakota, after a seven hour drive from Lara's home. Dean got them a room at a cheap motel near a diner. When they had carried all the bags into their motel room, he told Sam that he was going to get some food and then left without so much as a glance towards his little sister.

Lara noticed this. She really didn't understand why she was being treated this way. It was hardly her fault that she was in the world. And it's not like she wanted to be there anyway. She would have been the happiest if she hadn't been born.

'Lara, do you need to go to the toilet or take a shower or something?' Sam wasn't sure what to say to his sister. She looked so small and fragile to him.

'I just need to use the toilet.' She finally admitted. Sam saw her look around nervously. He got the sudden urge to comfort her and tell her that she was going to be okay. He mentally shook himself.

'Go ahead.' He told her. She walked into the toilet silently and shut the door. Sam didn't know what to feel anymore. When he had first found out about her, he had been so mad. But in the past seven hours, sat in the silence of the Impala, he had really thought about things and he came to the realization that the whole situation was worse for her than it was for them.

When she came out, he automatically smiled at her. She made the effort to smile back but the smile didn't reach her eyes. She was a beautiful kid, with her big brown eyes, heart-shaped face and small brown hair. She didn't look anything like Dean but there was something about her that reminded Sam of Dean. He just couldn't put his finger on it. Maybe, it was her eyes, the sadness and pain in them or maybe it was her silence.

'I am just going to take a shower, okay? You'll be alright?' He asked her, already anticipating a long hot shower. She simply nodded. He grabbed some clothes from his duffel and went to take his shower before Dean got back.

Dean was pissed. He told himself he had every right to be. As if looking after Sam wasn't his full-time job already, now he had another person to look after…his baby sister. No, don't think of it like that. He kept telling himself that he hated her and he needed to keep it that way. She had ruined everything. How dare there be another Winchester?

Dean got the food from the diner after waiting twenty minutes for it and then made his way back to their motel room. He schooled his expression into that of anger and then entered the room, only to find it empty. What the hell? He got inside further and heard the shower. That's got to be Sammy, so where was she?

Dean started to look around the room. He rounded the bed farthest from the door to find Lara sleeping on the floor. She was curled up in a ball on top of what seemed to be a bed sheet from one of the two beds in the room. She was using her own jacket as a pillow. Something inside Dean melted at the sight. He knew that the floor was uncomfortable. He was about to lift her up and place her on a bed when the bathroom door clicked open. Dean hastily moved away from her. He didn't want Sam to think that he cared. Did he care?

Sam caught sight of her, curled up on the floor. 'Did you tell her to sleep on the floor?' He was shocked to say the least.

'Shut up, Sammy. No, I didn't. When I got back, she was already sleeping.' Dean huffed.

'And you couldn't have moved her to a bed? She probably thinks that we wouldn't want to share with her.' Sam narrowed his eyes at his brother, bitchface firmly in place.

'She's right about that.' Dean retorted.

Sam ignored his brother and walked over to Lara. He lifted her up and placed her on the nearest bed. 'Dean, I can't sleep with her because of my nightmares. I might scare her. You don't mind sharing, do you?'

'Sammy, you wanted her to stay with us. So, I think it's only fair if you share with her. She's your responsibility. Now, shut up and let me eat my food.' Dean walked over to the bags which were on the table.

Sam looked over at his sleeping sister. 'Dean, I think we should wake her up. She must be hungry. She didn't eat any of the snacks I bought earlier.'

'Dude, do whatever you damn please. You've always been a mother-hen anyway. At least, now you have a chick you can share your chick flick moments with.' Dean smirked.

Sam gently woke Lara up, 'Hey, wake up. Dinner's here. Come on, don't make me force you.' He saw her chew on her bottom lip and then get up. She followed him to the table and quietly sat down.

Sam checked inside the bag, hoping Dean had brought her some food. He knew his brother could be one mean bastard when he wanted to be. He was glad to find a burger, fries and a coke for her too. He placed the food in front of her. 'Eat up.' He started to eat his own food.

Dean noticed she was picking at her food. 'I didn't bring you food, so you can waste it. But what more can I expect from an ungrateful person.' Dean said bitterly, levelling his hot gaze at her.

'I'm sorry. I…I…I'm just not hungry. You can have it, if you want.' She pushed the food towards him and then got up from her chair. She made her way to the bed she had woken up in and lay down. She shut her eyes. She tried to block out their whispering but she couldn't. She knew they were discussing her. She wanted the earth to open up and suck her in. She didn't want to be here.

She fell asleep to their low voices, only to wake up with a start in the middle of the night. She could feel someone moving around beside her. She fearfully opened her eyes and looked around. She saw Sam lying next to her in the bed. Her eyes widened in panic when she realized he was having a nightmare. She tried to wake him but he wouldn't wake up.

She jumped off the bed, and ran to her other brother. 'Dean, wake up. Dean…' She jostled him.

'What the hell?' Dean grumbled and tried to push her away.

'Dean! I can't wake Sam.' Hearing Sam's name, Dean jumped out off bed fully alert. Lara moved away from her brothers. She didn't want to intrude. A part of her felt envious of Sam for having someone who loved him so much. She saw Dean repeatedly trying to wake Sam. But he didn't wake up. She heard Dean panic and something inside her snapped. She realized Sam wasn't having a normal nightmare.

All of a sudden, she felt claustrophobic and she knew what was happening. She was about to suffer from a panic attack. She didn't want them to know about her panic attacks. She knew Dean would hate her even more. She tried to control it, but her efforts were useless. She saw Sam coming around, just before everything went black and she passed out.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N; Thanks to everyone who reviews for your kind words of encouragement....pls keep telling me your opinion, it means a lot and i will try my best to be faster if you guys give me the motivation.**

Chapter 3 –

'Dean, I'm okay. Get off me, Dude.' Sam sat up in bed, holding his head. 'Oh my god, Lara?' He saw her sprawled on the floor in an awkward position. He tried to get out of his bed but it was impossible with Dean mothering him. 'Dean, stop trying to hold me down. I'm awake, you idiot.' Dean let go of him.

Dean looked behind him to see what had gotten Sam so frantic. He saw Lara lying on the floor, passed out. Great, she was a wimp too.

Sam was now out of the bed, making his way towards his little sister. He bent down and lifted her up. He carried her to Dean's bed and placed her there.

'Why are you laying her down on my bed? I told you before that I am not sharing with her.' Dean said wide-eyed.

Sam shook his head in disappointment and disgust. 'Dean, she's just a kid. Hell, we're over twice her age. The way you are treating her is wrong. If you wanna be mad at someone, be mad at Dad. It's not her fault, she's here.' He heaved a sigh and threw in hands up in defeat. He sat beside her on the bed, and tapped her face gently a few times. 'Lara…Lara, wake up kiddo.'

Lara stirred in the bed and looked around, confused. She tried to remember how she had got there. The memory of Sam not waking up and Dean in a panic renewed her fear. She started to cry, her sobs piercing the silence in the room. She held onto to Sam when he pulled her in his arms, trying to calm her down. He asked her what was wrong. She couldn't tell them. Dean hated her. He couldn't know. He'd use it as an excuse to throw her in a foster home. 'I…I just got scared. You wouldn't wake up.' She gave him the half-truth. She tried to wipe her tears away.

'Well, there's no need to be scared. It was just a nightmare. I get them a lot when I sleep. You'll sleep with Dean from now on, okay?' Sam saw her look at him wide-eyed. She looked horrified. He recognised that she was aware of Dean's dislike towards her. Dean was being pretty obvious. Sam felt guilty himself for hating her when he had first found out about her but he was glad he had seen the error of his ways. 'You'll be fine. You should go back to sleep.' He smiled at her and gave her a hug before he moved to his own bed.

Lara saw Sam leave her and felt a sudden wave of panic grip her. She started to do her breathing routine to calm herself. She realized she liked Sam. He was nice to her. She had felt safe with him. She squeezed her eyes shut when she felt the bed beside her dip. She tried to pretend it was Sam and not her eldest brother. She wasn't sure about Dean. She felt her heart rate hike, when she heard soft snoring coming from the other bed. Sam wasn't awake anymore. Dean might hurt her. She tensed up when she felt his body close to hers. She tried to move away but she realized she didn't have anymore space on the bed.

Dean heard her whimper when he got in the bed beside her. He had seen the way Sam had calmed her, and comforted her. He had felt a pang of envy in his heart at the sight. He had realized that he had wanted to be the one to comfort her. She was his kid, not Sam's. Oh my god, he didn't just think that. No, he wasn't going to get close to her. All the people he loved got hurt. It was better to not care about her. After tossing and turning a few more minutes, he fell asleep.

Lara heard Dean snoring beside her and relaxed a little. He wasn't going to hurt her. Maybe, if she was really nice to him then he would start liking her. She didn't understand her need for his approval. She had never cared if someone loved her before she had met her brothers. She had seen the way they looked after each other and the love that they shared for one another. Their love had awakened the need, to feel loved, inside her. She wanted to be loved too. A few stray tears fell out of her eyes as she let her thoughts run through her mind. Before long, exhaustion took hold of her and lulled her to sleep.

Sam woke up in the morning to find his siblings sleeping peacefully, wrapped up in each other's arms. It was a sweet sight to watch, Dean sleeping with a cute kid. They didn't look like siblings, more like father and daughter. Sam had a niggling feeling that Dean was acting like a jerk because of some other reasons and not because he didn't want her as a sister. He hoped his brother would get over his childish behaviour and accept that she was their family. He decided to take a shower before either of his siblings wanted to use the bathroom. He grabbed his clothes and went into the bathroom, a huge smile on his face.

Lara stirred and found she couldn't move. She opened her eyes in panic and immediately shut them when the harsh sunlight that was filtering through the windows of their motel room hit her eyes. She opened her eyes again after a few seconds. She was prepared for the harsh light this time so it didn't affect her as much. She tried to move again and heard a moan behind her back. That's when she realized she was tightly wrapped in someone's arms and that someone wasn't letting her go. She remembered it was Dean. Her eyes widened. Oh my god, he's trying to kill me. She struggled against him in her panic.

Dean's eyes flew open when he realized that a crying Lara was repeatedly trying to push him away. He quickly withdrew his arms from around her. Seeing the fear marring her beautiful innocent face made Dean's heart break. 'I'm sorry. I was asleep. I didn't mean to scare you. It's okay, kid. I'm not gonna hurt you.' He tried to reach for her but she flinched from his touch. He saw her rocking and silently crying on the bed. He hated himself for being the cause of her fear. He remembered how she had accepted comfort from Sam and in that moment he was jealous of his little brother. 'Lara Croft, you aren't doing justice to the chick you're named after, are you? She would've kicked my ass, she wouldn't have cried.'

Dean reached his hand towards her again and stroked her hair. This time she didn't pull away. It was progress. He knew he had to make up for the way he had treated her. And he knew sorry wasn't enough. Sam was right, she was just a kid. Dean was old enough to be her dad. He had been selfish, thinking about his own hurt but what about hers? He moved closer to her and put his arms around her. He felt her tense so he started rubbing her back in soothing circles as she hiccupped. 'You don't need to be scared of me. I won't hurt you.' He repeated. He felt her relax after a while. He moved them so that they were both resting against the headboard of the bed. He kept one arm around her and placed her head on his shoulder. He put the TV on and started flipping through the channels, hoping that this normal act would calm her and not make her look at him with those fearful eyes. He already hated that look in her eyes with a passion.

Sam came out of the bathroom to a shock. He smirked knowingly at Dean when he caught sight of his brother gently rubbing his little sister's arm in a soothing manner as she sat beside him. He was going to say something about it, tease Dean. But the lethal glance Dean levelled at him, stopped him. 'Morning, guys. You okay, Lara?' She nodded. 'Right, I'll go and get some breakfast for us.' Sam grabbed the keys of the Impala and left.

Dean gazed at his baby sister from the corner of his eye. He grudgingly let go of her and got up. 'I'll take a shower first or do you want to take it first?' He saw her nervously chew on her bottom lip as if she was thinking about the question.

'It's okay. You can go first.' She replied in a small voice.

Dean grabbed some fresh clothes and went to take his shower. He let the shower's spray wash away his guilt and hurt. He was hurt that his dad had betrayed his mother's memory. The realistic part of him knew that his dad hadn't been a saint and that every man had needs but the idealistic part had always believed that his dad wouldn't even look at another woman, let alone have a child with her. He felt guilty for the way he had treated Lara. He smiled at the name. She had told them she was named after that cyber chick because she had the same surname.

He got out of the bathroom to find her sat on the bed with clothes in her hands. She silently walked past him into the bathroom and shut the door but not before he caught the sight of fresh tears streaming down her face.

Dean went back to watching TV. After a while, Sam came in. 'I come bearing gifts.' He said, smiling.

Dean saw his brother's cheerfulness and rolled his eyes. 'What the hell are you so happy about?' He asked annoyed.

Sam grinned and gave him his puppy dog look. 'I see you're beginning to like our baby sis.' He wiggled his eyebrows.

Dean didn't know how to respond to that. 'I don't know what you're talking about?' He hoped he sounded convincing.

'Yeah? Then what was that, just you wanting a chick flick moment?' Sam huffed.

'Sammy, I woke up to her crying in my arms, looking as though she thought I was gonna kill her. I had to comfort her. I would've done the same thing for any kid. I don't like her. I hate…' He stopped when he noticed the wide-eyed look on Sam's face. He followed Sam's eyes and saw Lara standing outside the bathroom, looking like someone who had been told that their cat had died.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 –

Sam was sat researching on his laptop. Lara was reading a book what she always seemed to be doing. Dean had gone to get them food from the nearby diner.

Two days had passed since Lara had walked in to hear Dean saying that she was just like any other kid to him and that he didn't like her. She had refused to sleep in Dean's bed, telling Sam that she would sleep on the floor or the chair if he didn't let her share with him. She had hardly spoken to either of them since then. She only spoke when she was asked something of importance.

It had deeply affected Sam to watch his sister so sad and withdrawn. Half of the time, she looked like she wasn't even with them. Sam had noticed that Dean was sulky as well. He had caught Dean looking at Lara with such hurt and concerned expression on his face that he didn't know who to feel worse for, her or him. He didn't know what to do to make the situation better. All he knew was that this couldn't go on forever and that he wasn't going to be the mediator anymore. As far as he was concerned, they needed to sort out their problems themselves.

So, he decided what better time to put his plan into action then tonight when they were going to hunt an angry spirit. It was a simple salt and burn.

'Lara, are you going to be okay tonight?' Sam asked her when all three Winchesters were sat on the table, eating their food. She simply nodded her affirmation.

He tried again, 'You won't be scared, will you? If you want, you can stay behind.' That got a reaction. She looked at him wide-eyed and shook her head. 'I don't understand that, Lara. You're gonna have to be clear.' He smirked.

'I want to go with you. Sam, please.' She didn't look at them, instead choosing to study her food which she was picking at, as usual.

'Yeah, okay.' Sam smiled. There had been no question about it. She was coming with them but he had asked her anyway because like this at least he got a reaction.

Dean was silent as they packed up for the hunt. He had also been silent during Sam and Lara's little conversation. He drove them all to the graveyard and parked the Impala under some bushes away from prying eyes. It was late in the evening but one could never be too cautious.

The graveyard was old and gloomy. Chill hung in the air, making them all shiver. Lara looked around nervously. Sam had given her a shotgun and some salt with the advice to aim and pull the trigger at anything out of the ordinary. She wished that they got through the hunt without her screwing it up for them. She stuck close to Sam, trying to stay out of the way of her eldest brother.

'Dean, I think we should split up. This graveyard is huge. We'll take ages to find the guy's grave.' Sam said seriously to his brother.

Dean thought about it for a few minutes. He hated it when they split up. 'Yeah, okay. I'll take this side. Give me a shout when you find something.' He was about to leave, however Sam stopped him.

'Dean, Lara's going with you. She'll be safer with you. You're the better hunter. And you have angels watching over you.' Sam felt Lara grab his hand in a firm grip.

It took a split second for Sam's words to penetrate Dean's mind. 'Yeah, you're right. Sammy, be careful. Come on, Lara.' He motioned for her to follow him. He saw Sam give her a hug before she started to trudge behind him.

Lara walked behind Dean, silently. She didn't let her guard down because she knew if something went wrong on the hunt then Dean would blame her.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Dean heard Sam calling him from a far corner of the graveyard. He went over to Sam, followed closely by his kid sister. 'You found it?' Dean asked, exasperatingly.

'Yeah, let's dig it before the spirit makes an appearance.' Sam rolled his shoulders and grabbed one of the shovels.

Half an hour later, the two brothers hit the solid wood of the coffin. Dean got out of the pit and went to grab the lighter fluid and rock salt to burn the bones. He passed them to Sam who doused the bones and then got out of the pit.

'Lara, you wanna light it?' Sam asked his sister who was sat on a gravestone looking out of place. She shook her head. Dean grabbed the lighter and was about to throw it in when the spirit appeared before him. The spirit lifted his arm to point at Dean with the intention to use some of his powers on him. Dean lit the lighter but it flew out of his hand. The spirit cackled and was about to throw Dean, when Dean felt someone throw him out of the way. From the floor where he lay, he saw his little sister experience the wrath of the angry spirit. He was rooted to the spot. From the corner of his eye, he saw Sam light the bones.

After a moments crackling of fire and ghostly hissing, everything was still. He heard Sam running over to Lara and realized something was wrong, judging by Sam's frantic calls. Dean hastily got up off the floor and made his way to his siblings. He sat beside Lara's unmoving body on the opposite side of Sam. 'Sam, we need to get her out of here.' He said as calmly as he could. He threw the Impala keys to Sam. 'Take the bags. Start the car. I'll carry her there.' He gently lifted her up in his arms. She was pale and as cold as ice.

Why did she have to put herself in danger like that? The idiot, she saved me but for what? I've only treated her like shit since I saw her. She should hate me, not risking her own life for me.

Oh god, she can't die on me. He repeated this mantra in his head all the way back to the motel as she lay in the backseat. He kept one eye on the road as he drove like a bat out of hell and one eye on her via the rear-view mirror. He saw Sam throw worried glances her way, and he couldn't help but feel he had let his family down.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 –

As soon as they got to the motel, Dean shut the engine and jumped out of the Impala. 'Sammy, get the first aid kit.' He opened the back door and carried her out of the car. He walked the short distance to the motel room and opened it. He hurriedly placed her on his bed and went to wash his hands from the dirt that digging the grave had left on him.

When he got out of the bathroom, Sam was already in the room laying salt lines and checking the devil's trap. Dean didn't pay his brother much attention. He grabbed the first aid kit from the other bed and placed it on the bedside table. He sat down beside her then.

'Lara…Lara, wake up.' Dean slapped her face softly to revive her. He had checked her pulse and was glad to find that it was strong. She just seemed to be out. He tapped her a few times before she finally stirred.

'Oww…' She said, dazedly. Dean noticed she was finding it hard to keep her eyes open. He saw tears forming in her eyes.

He smiled at her, when she looked at him. 'Hey, I'm gonna check you for any injuries, okay? Just tell me where you feel any pain.'

'I'm fine.' She stubbornly tried to get up. She winced as pain shot through her ribs. 'Oww…' She fell back on the bed, clutching her right side.

Dean had witnessed her cringe in pain, holding her ribs. Therefore he now had a better idea where she was hurting. He batted her hands away and lifted her top. She whimpered and bit her lip when he started to poke her ribs to check them. 'You're ribs are cracked. I think it's just three of them that are cracked. Thank god, they aren't broken. I'll clean the wound and wrap it up in bandages to hold them in place. They'll be as good as new in a few days. You'll be okay.' He wiped a few tears off her face with his hands.

Sam saw Dean patching up her wound. Dean was fully concentrating at the task in hand and judging by the way he kept looking at her for signs of discomfort he was trying his best to not put his little sister in any pain. He didn't even notice when Sam asked her if she was okay and then left to take a shower.

Sam had realized that he wasn't needed. He knew Dean enough to recognise when his brother wanted to be left alone. He had sensed that this was one of those times. Anyway, he needed the shower to wash away the dirt and soothe his aching tense muscles from the grave digging. He remembered with a sigh that he was long over-due to meet Ruby. He had planned to sneak out tonight but now that his sister was injured. He couldn't leave her in the bed alone. He was going to have to make some other arrangement.

Dean sat beside Lara, watching her sleep. She had fallen asleep after the pills had started to take effect. He subconsciously stroked her hair. She was a cute kid. She reminded him of Sam. She didn't look much like him but she had the same hair colour as him and she had the same dimples. He still couldn't believe her selfless act. He felt guilty because he knew it was his fault she was in pain. He heard the door to the bathroom open. He saw Sam coming out, ready for bed.

'Is she okay?' He asked concerned.

'Yeah, she fell asleep after the pills did their magic. I should go and grab a shower.' Dean reluctantly left his baby sister's side.

'Dean, do you want me to move her to my bed?' Sam asked, already knowing the answer.

'No!' Dean answered a little too fast. He saw Sam's smile and then felt the urge to wipe the knowing smile off his little brother's face. 'I mean…Sammy, you have nightmares. You might hurt her whilst moving about in your sleep. I just patched her up. I don't wanna do it again.' He added.

Sam grinned, 'Yeah, sure.' He said, sarcastically.

Dean huffed in annoyance. He grabbed some clothes from his bag and left to take his shower. He came out after getting ready, to find both of his siblings fast asleep on their separate beds. He got into bed with his youngest sibling and shut the lights off in the room. He felt exhausted. He was out before his head hit the pillow.

Dean woke up to the sound of whimpering coming from beside him. He opened his eyes to find his sister sobbing uncontrollably. He looked over at Sam's bed and found it empty. The light of the bathroom wasn't on. Dean wasn't surprised. It wasn't the first time that Sam had sneaked out in the middle of the night. Dean wasn't sure what the whole thing was about but he had a feeling it was something bad, if Castiel's warnings were anything to go by.

'Lara, what's wrong? Does it hurt?' He gently pulled her in his arms and wrapped her in the cocoon of their warmth. 'Why are you crying?'

She carried on crying for a while. Dean didn't know what to do. He had always known what to do to calm Sam but calming a girl and a kid was different. And she was both. He rubbed her back gently. When she quietened down, he tried to ask her the cause of her meltdown again.

'Lara, are you gonna tell me what this is about? Huhh…' Dean asked patiently, trying to keep his voice low and soft. She shook her head stubbornly and pouted. She looked adorable. He couldn't help but smile. 'If you don't tell me, I'll leave you here. I won't take you with me.' He saw her terrified look and mentally kicked himself for trying to scare her into telling him. But he didn't back down.

'I suffered from a panic attack.' She admitted in a small voice.

'Why?' Dean asked confused.

'I woke up and saw Sam missing.' She told him timidly.

'Well, there's nothing to panic about. He's a big guy, can look after himself.' Dean stroked her hair, absent-mindedly. 'So, do you get these attacks a lot? Was it a panic attack that night Sam wouldn't wake up?' She nodded. 'You don't have to panic ever again, okay? I will never let anything happen to you or Sam. You have nothing to worry about.' He saw her eyes shining with unshed tears. To his surprise, she got closer to him and rested her head on his chest. A sudden feeling of joy came over him. 'Why did you get in the way when we were hunting?'

She was about to pull away but he tightened his arms around her. 'I thought the ghost was gonna hurt you.'

'You decided to play the hero.' He scoffed.

'I didn't think…I …I didn't want you to get hurt. I'm sorry.' She hid her face in his chest, hoping he wouldn't see her tears.

'For what?' Dean asked baffled.

'For being born.' She mumbled. The tone of her voice suggested that she really did mean it and she was being sincere.

'I'm not sorry.' Dean tried to lift her head up. He needed to tell her to her face. The hurt that he had just heard in her simple statement had tugged at his heart. 'Lara, you have nothing to be sorry for. Sammy and I are glad we have a little sister.'

'You hate me, I know. It's okay…' She sighed resignedly.

'I don't hate you. I am sorry for the way I treated you. I was mad at dad. He had you when I was 18 yrs old. He could've…should've told me about you.' He kissed her on the top of her head. 'You must be tired, go back to asleep. I'll try to get hold of my angel tomorrow and see if he can heal you.'

She looked at him excitedly. 'You have an angel who you can talk to?' She asked amazed.

'Yeah, you'll meet him soon. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow.' He stroked her head and back as she rested her head back on his chest.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N; Thank you so much to all of you who review this story...I hope to keep writing to your standard and expectations...**

**And keep reviewing...reviews keep writers motivated, we live for reviews... I can take any type of review so if you're a hater still review...**

Chapter 6 –

Lara stirred to the sound of her brothers arguing with each other in angry whispers. In her grogginess, at first, she thought they were arguing over her until Dean started cussing and swearing that he was going to kill someone. She was about to let them know that she was awake but stopped. She wanted to know everything about her brothers and she had a feeling that they wouldn't be sharing anything with her. So, she decided it would be best to feign sleep and listen to what they were saying.

'You think I don't know what you're doing and who you're doing it with? I'm gonna hunt that bitch down. I ain't putting up with you two slow dancing behind my back. You know what Castiel said.' Dean was furious, she could tell by his voice.

'Dean, you don't know anything. You don't understand. You're over-reacting. I don't need you telling me what to do.' There was anger in Sam's tone.

'Sammy, you're right…I don't understand. I don't understand why you're doing this to yourself but I know one thing, what you're doing is wrong on so many levels I can't...I didn't say it before because I wanted you to tell me yourself. I was waiting for my little brother to come back. But I guess he's never coming back. You don't need me anymore, Sammy. I know.'

Lara sneaked a glance towards her brothers. Dean was sat on the chair at the table, nursing a drink. Sam was pacing the room like a caged animal. Dean looked heartbroken and defeated. Sam looked angry and lost. She felt the sudden urge to run over to Dean and give him a big hug, to tell him that he shouldn't be sad because she needed him. The realization that he only wanted his little brother to need him stopped her.

She thought back to when he had woken up trying to calm her down in the middle of night. He had said he didn't hate her and that he wasn't going to let anything happen to her. But she still didn't believe it. Everyone had always let her down in her life, why would he be any different. He had probably said those things to calm her down because he didn't want to be handling a girl suffering from panic attacks. He had admitted as much to Sam that he would comfort any kid not just her. His comforting her didn't mean that he liked her. She focused her attention back to their muffled conversation.

'Dean, I didn't mean…'

Dean cut Sam off. 'Sam, I don't want any explanations. I don't care anymore. Do whatever you damn please.'

'Dean…'

Lara heard the door opening and shutting. Seconds later the Impala's engine sounded and Lara opened her eyes in panic. She looked around the room and found Sam sat on his bed with his face covered by his hands. She got out of bed and made her way over to her brother. 'Sam…'

He looked at her and tried to smile. His face was covered in tears. 'What's wrong? Where's Dean?' She asked but got a shrug as an answer.

His response and the look in his eyes scared her. She started crying. Had Dean left? It was all her fault. Maybe he was just looking for a reason to leave her. She felt Sam pull her into his arms.

Sam saw his sister crying and something inside him melted. He had seen the scared look on her face when she realized Dean wasn't gone to get food or something. He wished he could tell her that Dean was going to be back in a few minutes. But he wasn't sure when his big brother would cool down from their latest fight and come back. He was just so sorry. He knew he had hurt Dean and now he had scared his baby sister. He could tell Lara was already attached to them. Something told him that she was more connected with Dean than him. He hoped Dean felt the same protective instinct for her as he felt for his little brother because that would get him back to them sooner.

Dean got breakfast from the diner and sat in the Impala in the car park, not wanting to leave and go back to the motel room. He was thinking about when Sam had needed him and trusted him enough to tell him everything. Back then, Sam had had blind faith in everything that his hero brother said or did. Things had changed. Sam had changed. Dean hadn't thought he would come back from hell to this. It was almost tearing his heart to shreds to know that the very reason he had gone to hell for, didn't need him anymore.

He was prepared to sit out there for longer. He didn't want to go back just yet but he remembered that he now had a kid sister who got panic attacks when she got scared. It was weird that she hadn't gotten scared on the hunt but was terrified to see her brother missing. He didn't want her to think he had left her.

Dean still wasn't sure how he felt about her. He had come to realize that he didn't dislike her, the way he had made her think he did. He wasn't ready to admit to anyone other than himself that it felt good to be needed by someone again. He decided if Sam didn't need him then at least she would. With this thought, he drove out of the car park and to their motel room.

Lara heard the Impala and immediately wiped her tears away. Her eldest brother was back. She felt so happy. In her happiness, she didn't think twice before she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around him in a hug when he barely got through the door. Recognizing her mistake when she felt him tense up and not return her hug, she pulled away.

'I…I'm sorry. I thought you left.' She looked at him, scared. He looked shocked.

He continued looking at her with his intense gaze for a few more seconds before his face broke into a smile. 'Now, why would I leave my pain in the ass sister? Do I have a reason?' He smirked.

She shook her head, vigorously and smiled at him.

Sam saw this exchange and realized that she was the reason Dean was back so early in the first place. He was happy that Dean had gotten his wish. Now, he had someone else who needed him. At least, he would be able to indulge his big brother protective tendencies without hassling him anymore.

'I think I am going to check out the library in the town.' He got up from where he was sat on his bed.

'Sammy, eat your breakfast before going.' Dean didn't look at him as he said this. 'And you go get ready before breakfast.' He said to Lara.

She obliged. Grabbing her clothes, she headed into the bathroom. When Sam was sure she was out of earshot, he levelled his gaze at Dean who was eating his breakfast and reading some article. 'Dean, I'm so…'

'Sam, I don't want to talk about it.' He said and went back to his article.

Sam grabbed his coffee and donut. Throwing one last glance towards his brother, he left for the library which thankfully wasn't far as he needed a walk to clear his head.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N; Thank you to all the reviewers for your great words and encouragement...I don't have time to reply to all but know that I appreciate every and each one of them...the more the better....pls, keep telling me what you think of this story... writers live on feedback...**

Chapter 7 –

Dean threw the article he was pretending to read when he was sure that Sam wouldn't come back. Downing the remnants of his coffee, he tossed the empty cup in the trash can and got up. He grabbed his shotgun from his weapon's bag and sat down on his bed to clean it. The smell of gun oil and the feel of his favourite gun in his hands always calmed him down. And today was no different. He let the familiarity of the task still the storm that was raging inside of him.

Dean didn't know how long he had been cleaning his weapon as he lost track of time. Only the click of the bathroom door opening brought him back from his trance. He looked up to see a slightly flushed Lara walking out of the steam filled bathroom. She was clutching her injured side. He saw her look at the gun in his hand with fear in her eyes.

Feeling mischievous all of a sudden, he swung the barrel towards her and smirked. 'Sammy's not here to save you now.' He said in a serious tone. He barely managed to keep his face straight.

'Dean, please. I didn't do anything.' Lara pleaded, darting her eyes around the room as though looking for shelter or a shield. She looked like she was going to faint.

Dean got off the bed and made his way to her. She looked terrified. 'Hey, relax. I was joking. I couldn't help myself…the way you were looking at the gun…' He laughed, throwing the gun on Sam's bed. He then put his arm around her waist. 'Come on, let me take a look at your ribs.' He helped her to his bed.

She stubbornly shook her head, pouting. 'I'm fine.'

Dean's heart did a flip at the sight of the cute look on her face. She looked adorable. He went over to the table and got her breakfast for her. 'Here, have your breakfast. And I'll take a look at you. See if you're healed any.'

Lara was about to protest but stopped when Dean stared her down, a serious expression marring his face. She huffed, annoyingly and snatched her hot chocolate cup and donut out of his hand as he sat down beside her.

Dean felt amused by his sister's angry glares as he unwrapped the bandages from around her ribs. She was chewing hard on her food as if trying to take out her frustration on the poor donut. 'Ow…' Tears formed in her eyes.

'It hurts?' Dean was concerned by the purplish bruises on her body. 'Don't cry. I promise it'll be better soon. I'll call my angel and tell him to heal you.' He put his arm around her, trying to reassure her.

Dean tried calling Castiel silently at first but to no avail so he upped his efforts. 'Cas, don't be a son of a bitch.' He had covered his baby sister's ears before using the swear word. 'Get down here now. I need you.' He tried not to sound as though he was begging.

There was a flutter of wings in the air. A moment later, the celestial being was with them in the motel room. Lara gasped and widened her eyes. Dean tightened his hold on her after seeing her reaction. She didn't look scared but rather dazed.

'Dean, you called?' Cas asked in his usual calm tone.

'Hey to you too.' Dean replied, sarcastically. He rolled his eyes and added, 'This is Lara. I was wondering, can you heal her ribs for me? She's in pain.'

'Dean, if your sister hadn't hugged you earlier then she might not be in so much pain.' Cas tilted his head to one side, scrutinising Lara.

'Are you saying this is my fault?' Dean said sadly, bowing his head. He pulled away from Lara but remained seated next to her.

'No…Dean, this isn't your fault. It's my own fault.' Lara spoke up in her brother's defence.

'I will heal her for you because she shouldn't suffer for your misdeeds.' Cas chastised.

'What misdeeds?' Dean asked, puzzled with Castiel's cryptic talk.

'Father isn't happy with you, Dean. He doesn't tolerate the people who treat kids badly and hurt their feelings. Although the kid seems to have forgiven you, heaven can't, not yet anyway.' Castiel moved over to them and placed a hand over Lara's ribs. 'However, I see you have made some progress.' He looked at her bandages pointedly.

A faint glow radiated from the angel's hand as he worked his magic. A moment later, the angel straightened up and left with a wave and resounding flutter of wings.

Lara moved around to check her ribs and jumped with joy when she felt no pain. 'Dean, look I'm healed.' Dean was staring unblinkingly at the floor. He looked sad and she knew the reason why. The angel's words had been harsh.

Lara didn't know if he would allow her to comfort him but she took a risk anyway. She put her empty hot drink cup on the side table and then wrapped her arms around his waist. She waited for him to push her away or tell her that he didn't want her hugging him but he remained still and silent. She realized then how much he needed the comfort to be willing to accept it from her. She remembered all the times in the past when she had needed someone to hold her but no one had been there to give her what she needed, what she had, in her childishness, craved.

She didn't want her brother to feel the same loneliness and emptiness she had felt in those times. So she buried herself deeper in his chest and held him tighter, letting him know that she was there if he needed someone to hold him…anchor him. After what felt like an eternity, he relaxed and put his arms around her. 'I love you.' She hadn't intended to say it out loud. It had just come out of her mouth in all her excitement of seeing an angel and being hugged by her eldest brother but she knew she meant it. When the words left her mouth, it had felt right. She had felt him momentarily tense up before relaxing and placing a kiss on her head. For the first time in her life, she felt like she belonged here with her brother.

Dean was still trying to rise above his shock of what his baby sister had just said to him. After Castiel's disappointment and the celestial being's words, renewed guilt had washed over him because he knew the angel had been right. He had treated a kid badly; a kid who seemed to already think that he was the best thing in her world. He watched her playing with his amulet and subconsciously smiled. She was 12 years old in age but she was a kid in every other way. There was pureness and naivety in her soul, with childlike curiosity and excitement about things. She was like a big baby…his baby; he finally admitted his true feelings to himself. That's when he vowed that he wasn't going to ever let anything or anyone hurt her and take her away from him.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N; As always thanks to all who reviewed for your kind words and encouragement…I hope you guys keep liking it and reviewing it….I live off reviews so be kind enough to review if you don't already…**

**This chapter is special to my heart…It was written from the heart…I cried writing it…I hope you like it...And don't forget to tell me what you think…**

Chapter 8 –

It was late in the evening as Dean drove on the empty roads of the motorway towards the Midwestern region of America. His goal, to get to Bobby's, in South Dakota, before he passed out due to tiredness. Sam was riding shotgun as usual and for a change the backseat wasn't empty either. It had been over a day since Dean and Sam had fought over Sam's nightly excursions. But that hadn't stopped them from taking swipes at each other with their words whenever they could find a plausible reason.

'Dean, can you put the music down? Please. I'm trying to sleep here.' Sam whined.

Dean smirked and glanced at the rear-view mirror to look at his baby sister. 'Lara, music too loud for you?'

'I'm okay.' She replied after hesitating.

Lara wasn't ecstatic about this new development in her relationship with her brothers. They seemed to be using her as the mediator between them and an excuse to get on each other's nerves. She told herself that she liked both her brothers equally so she shouldn't have to take sides. But it was a sticky place to be as she was stuck in the middle, torn between two choices most of the time, as they had now started giving importance to her opinion on matters since their argument the day before.

'But Dean, if Sam can't sleep with the music on at this volume. It wouldn't hurt to put it low. You could switch it off and talk to me if you want…I am a little bored.' She added, shyly.

She met Dean's gaze in the rear-view mirror and gave him a hopeful smile. She couldn't read his reaction to her admission because she could only see his eyes but she prayed it wasn't the wrong thing to say to him. She still didn't know what her eldest brother would let her get away with. On the other hand, she was sure that Sam was the sensitive type and wouldn't mind her admitting to her needs. She wanted Dean to think that she was strong and not a needy little girl, but sitting in the car for so long with not even herself to talk to was affecting her delicate nerves.

Lara was shocked when Dean switched the music off. She could see from where she was sat that Sam was equally stunned by Dean obliging to something that was so big a subject to him. She had heard him repeatedly tell Sam that the driver picked the music and shotgun shut their cake hole, his exact words. According to him, drivers chose the volume too. But he didn't say any of this to her now when he so easily could've. That meant a lot to her.

'Are you okay back there?' Dean asked her nonchalantly.

Lara saw Sam make himself comfortable and close his eyes after placing his ipod's earphones in his ears. It seemed Sam needed music after all, just not Dean's choice of banging music, to help him sleep. A part of her was glad about this because she realised she wasn't comfortable with having witnesses to her talks with her eldest brother and something told her that he didn't like anyone knowing how emotional he really was. She was relieved she could already read both her brothers so well, especially Dean. Perhaps she could see his pain and the guilt he carried in his soul because she felt the same way. The phrase, it takes one to know one, rang true for her.

'I'm fine. Just needed to talk, I guess. It calms me.' She sighed.

'Are you worried about something?' He carried on in his casual tone. It sounded like a proper conversation for a change rather than a forced one.

'No.' Lara contemplated whether she should tell him the whole truth. 'I have this habit. I…I just…talking soothes me. I feel nervous if I don't hear myself for too long. When I was a kid I used to talk to myself a lot so I think I developed the habit then.' She said, embarrassed.

'Why did you talk to yourself? Where was your mum? I mean, didn't anyone talk to you?' Dean glanced at her worriedly before returning his attention to the road.

'She was busy.' She answered in a small voice. All of a sudden, she was bombarded with memories of her lonely childhood.

'There must have been someone looking after you.' Dean was going in deep and he didn't even know it.

She wanted to tell him that she had changed her mind. She didn't want to talk anymore but she knew he would probably take it upon himself to ask her more questions. 'Mum looked after me, physically but otherwise…' She shrugged. She thought he'd get the picture and leave it.

'What about friends…you have any?' He inquired.

It was becoming painful to talk about and she saw he wasn't going to let it go so she told him the painful truth in one frustrated breath. 'Dean, no I didn't have anyone. Mum didn't want me. She gave me a home to live in and food to eat, for which I am grateful but I never really had anyone who loved me. I have always been unwanted wherever I go and I am okay with that. I don't want or need anyone's sympathy. I have my ways of coping. Life can't be fair to everyone, can it? So, what if I got the bad deal, right? It's okay…I'm okay. Some people don't even have a home. It's not important to be loved. I had all the necessities anyway. You know everything about my boring life now. Nothing left to talk about.' She paused and took a long breath. She composed herself as best she could and then added, 'I think I'm going to sleep.' She tried to keep her tone light, the opposite of her feelings which were all over the place. She rested her head on the cool glass of the side window and shut her eyes. She wasn't going to cry, damnit. She repeated this mantra in her head. She wished she could sleep. She felt envious of Sam, the guy could sleep anywhere. She didn't want to be thinking or feeling.

Dean was rendered speechless. When he had first laid eyes on her, he hadn't thought such an innocent little girl was carrying so much hurt inside of her. He felt his eyes go blurry and realized that his eyes were tearing up. Shit. He couldn't let anyone see tears in his eyes. He felt awful for adding to her pain. She might have forgiven him for the way he had treated her with hatred but he was never going to forgive himself now. Not after knowing that he had added to a lifetime of hurt of a kid who felt unwanted and unloved. He hadn't known it then that she felt she had no one who had ever loved her but it still was no excuse. He had always thought that he had a bad deal in life but at least he had always known he had his family who loved him. He couldn't believe how such a beautiful and special kid had never been told that she was loved by anyone.

He drove on in the quiet, knowing she was awake thinking about everything. He wanted to say something to make it better but didn't know what to say. What did one say to someone who had never felt someone loved them? Someone who talked to themselves to calm their nerves because no one was there to comfort them? Who still pretended everything was okay? Who looked guilty for accepting affection if someone gave it to them as if they didn't deserve it? Who willingly gave comfort to others but didn't ask for any in return? Who coped with neglect by telling themselves that being loved wasn't important?

He remembered how she had tried to comfort him the day before, when Castiel had put him in his place. How she had held on to him so he felt better. He realised now that she had been silently telling him that he was forgiven. This realiztion brought on a fresh wave of tears to his eyes. He was happy when he saw Bobby's drive come into view. It had felt like an eternity, sitting in the car fighting with his emotions. His desire for a bed had been replaced by his need to comfort his baby sister.

He parked the Impala in her usual spot and saw Bobby coming out of his home to wait at the door.

Dean shoved Sam to wake him. 'Dude, we're here. Get all the bags, will you? I'm tired.' He got out of his car and opened the back door. 'Come on, let's go Lara.'

Sam took all the bags inside, giving Bobby a hug on the way. Dean walked over to Bobby with Lara in tow.

'Hey, Bobby.' Dean and Bobby exchanged a hug.

Lara saw the way Bobby looked at and greeted her brothers as a father would do. She felt like she was missing out on something because she had never experienced a father's affection.

'Hey there, girly. You must be Lara. The boys' family is my family too.' Bobby gave her a toothy smile and a quick hug. She smiled at the nice man.

They all went in and Bobby told them that he'd talk to them in the morning because he was going to bed. He left them, cracking some joke about Dean's snoring to lighten Lara's mood.

'Lara, I have put your bags in the guest room.' Sam said, yawning as they all made their way upstairs.

Dean stole a glance at her and saw her nod, understandingly. The thought that she must think, the only reason they shared with her in motels was to save money and not because they wanted her close, made Dean come to a decision.

'Sam, she's sharing with us. Go, get her bags.' Dean ordered.

'But Dean, she doesn't need to share with us. She'll be better off having her own room.' Sam was confused.

'I don't care. I want her close to me. So, I can see her.'

'Dean, she's safe here.' Sam rolled his eyes.

'Fine. I'll go and get her bags.' Dean said, angrily.

'Where will she sleep?' Sam asked, bewildered.

'With me.' Dean replied and left his shocked siblings outside Dean and Sam's usual room at Bobby's, to retrieve her bags from the guest room. He got back to find them still standing outside the room. 'What you're waiting for? Let's get ready and sleep. I'm ready to drop dead.' He nudged them in.

Dean claimed the bathroom first and made quick work of getting ready. He came out to find Sam waiting outside. Dean got in bed and watched Lara wait, sitting on Sam's bed. Dean decided he was going to give her a hug and wish her good night before he fell asleep even if he had to wait for an hour. Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long. Sam was out soon and Lara didn't take that long either. It looked like they were all tired and anxious to sleep.

As soon as Sam hit the pillow, Dean heard his soft snores. He was happy he wasn't going to have an audience when he wrapped his arms around his baby sister and tried to provide some comfort to her. Sam would never let him live it down.

Lara got in bed beside Dean, and tried to calm herself enough to fall asleep. But it didn't look like sleep was going to come to her anytime soon tonight. She felt the bed move and then strong arms pulling her in their warmth. She involuntarily gasped at the sudden movement but relaxed when she remembered it was only her brother not a monster making a grab for her. He probably wanted to get warm and needed comfort. She moved closer to him, burying herself in his embrace. She tried to pretend that she wasn't the one who needed comfort…that the need of comfort wasn't the reason why she was letting herself be so close to him. However, he shattered her pretence when he kissed her on the top of her head and whispered loud enough so she could only hear, 'Good night, Lara. I hope you have sweet dreams baby.'

Lara was surprised by her big brother's show of affection and thought of reasons why he was being nice to her. The most obvious reason was that he felt sorry for her which brought tears to her eyes. She didn't want his sympathy. She wanted him to mean it when he said nice things to her. With these thoughts still running through her head, she succumbed to a restless sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N; Thanks to those who reviews…but only 5 reviews for last chapter *pouts*… Come on, it's not that bad, is it? So why aren't you guys telling me if it's not bad…I'll be cool even if you tell me you hate the chapters…it's just I kind of live off reviews and it makes me sad when I don't get many…it doesn't take long reviewing just a few minutes so be nice and take the time to review…**

Chapter 9 –

Morning came too soon for the Winchester clan as they were all still exhausted. None of them woke up until Bobby came to check on them. And only then one of them got up. Sam was the first to get out of bed.

'Dean, when I get out of the bathroom you should be awake. We've got work to do.' Sam smacked Dean's leg on the way to the bathroom.

Dean made an angry whining noise in the back of his throat. He heard Sam mutter something intelligible and tried to go back to sleep. He didn't want to get up. It was so nice and warm in the bed. He felt Lara move in his arms so he opened an eye to take a peek. She had her face pressed against his chest and was trying to get comfortable in her sleep. Sam's grunting and yelling for Dean to get up hadn't affected her, which was a relief.

Dean gave up on sleep after trying for a while without any luck and instead watched his baby sister. She looked younger than her 12 years in her peaceful slumber. He knew from when he had watched over the kid Sam that watching a kid sleeping was something special because the true beauty of the child's soul shone bright when they were at their most vulnerable. Dean realized then that he could have spent all day watching her and not got tired from the sight of his cute kid sister.

Dean grudgingly looked at the time and then thought to what Sam had said. Sam was right, they did have work to do and issues to discuss with Bobby. He decided that he might as well get up before the bitch came out of the bathroom yelling, since he was going to have to get up anyway.

He slowly pulled his left arm from where it was resting around her waist and tried to get his other arm from under her body without waking her. It was a difficult task but he managed it only to have her sleeping body follow his body heat as he tried to get out of the bed. She stirred and sleepily snaked her arms around him pulling him back into the bed. She put her head back on his chest and contently sighed, immediately going back to sleep.

Dean was amused by his little sister's lack of inhibition in her sleepy state. He knew she would never allow herself to show she wanted something from anyone if she was fully alert. Lara seemed to prefer using his chest as a pillow and she wasn't letting him up. He tried to get away again and this time Lara opened her eyes, squinting and looked at him with a sulky expression adorning her face. She was making good use of her pout too.

'Hey, baby. Did you sleep well?' He wrapped his arms around her to give her a hug. She nodded. He withdrew his arms from around her. 'Right, that's great. Lara, you mind if I get up now?' He looked at her body clinging to his, pointedly. She bit her lip and blushed in embarrassment as she started to untangle herself from him. He saw the look of shame on her face and he tossed his plan of getting up to hell. He pulled her back in his arms.

Lara was utterly confused by her big brother. He seemed to have a split personality disorder; one minute he was doing something and the next he was doing the opposite. First, he had so obviously pointed out the reason he was still in bed and when her dazed mind had registered it, she had quickly tried to rectify her mistake but it seemed as though big brother had changed his mind and now wanted to stay in bed instead.

She tried to get up but Dean stopped her by tightening his arms around her. She looked at his closed eyes and smiled. She resigned herself to the comfort her big brother's cuddle provided and let it calm her. 'I thought you wanted to get up.' She said. She shoved him half-heartedly, only to have him retaliate by pulling her closer.

'I didn't want to get up. It's just the bitch will be out soon and he's going to piss me off all day if I don't get up now. We have some work to do and we need to talk to Bobby too.' Dean sighed, looking at her.

'What work? We have a hunt to go to?' She inquired, batting his hand away that had made its way to her hair where it started to play with the tangled mess.

'No, this is grown-up work. You don't need to know about it. It's not for kids.' He went back to playing with her hair and silently thanking Sam for taking one of his long showers. This way he got to spend time with Lara alone. He seriously didn't want Sam teasing him about being touchy feely with his sister.

She huffed. 'I'm not a kid…I'm 12 years old.'

'Exactly. That's the age for kids.' He grinned at her, seeing her pouting. 'You should be glad, you're a very cute kid…must take after me in the looks department.' He winked at her.

She rolled her eyes. 'Dean, is this work something to do with the angel and demon war…the apocalypse?' She changed the subject back to what her initial inquiry had been about.

Dean looked like a fish, opening and closing his mouth. She saw different emotions play across his face. Shock, guilt, panic and finally his face settled into an angry glare. 'Has Sammy been telling you something he shouldn't have? Wait till he comes out of…'

She cut him off before he started telling her details as to what he might like to do to her other big brother. 'He didn't tell me anything. I heard you guys talking. I am not deaf, you know. We all live in the same place it's natural for me to pick up on things. Anyway, Dean I need to know what's happening.'

'No, you don't.' He replied stubbornly.

Sam came out of the bathroom and saw his siblings glaring at each other with arms wrapped around each other. It was a funny sight and Sam would've laughed if Dean wasn't levelling that same angry glare at him now that he had seen him. Sam gave them a sweet smile. 'Morning, I see you guys are up.' Not getting a response from them, he looked at them nervously for a long time before asking about the angry look on Dean's face. 'So, what's up?' He tried nonchalance.

'Lara knows about the apocalypse, that's what's up.' Dean snorted.

'Well, we couldn't have hidden it for too long anyway.' Sam let out the breath he didn't know he was holding.

'Oh yes, we could've. Now, she wants to know everything.' Dean told Sam with a horrified look on his face. Sam just shrugged; he didn't know what else to do or say.

'I'm still here, you know. Can you not talk as if I'm not here?' Lara buried her face in Dean's chest to hide her unshed tears.

Dean instantly went into big brother protective mode. 'I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to exclude you.' He started rubbing her back in a soothing manner.

Sam couldn't believe his eyes or his ears. Had Dean just called her baby? He cleared his throat. 'Lara, don't worry I'll tell you everything.'

'No, you won't.' Dean shook his head, after which he resumed comforting his sister.

'Dean, it's best if she knows.' Sam argued giving Dean his best puppy-dog look.

'Everything?' Dean asked.

'Everything.' Sam nodded.

'Fine, have it your way. But only a toned down version of everything, okay?' Dean relented.

Sam nodded, again.

'Right, I'm getting up now.' Dean declared, sadly.

To his amusement and shock, Sam saw Dean give Lara a quick kiss on her head before pulling away from her and getting out of bed. Dean didn't meet his eyes as he grabbed some clean clothes from his bag and left for the bathroom.

When Sam was sure his brother wouldn't come out anytime soon, he went over to Dean's bed and sat beside Lara. 'You want me to tell you everything now or later?'

Lara sat up in the bed feeling excited and happy that her brothers were willing to do this for her. It was the first time her wish had been granted by someone. She was grateful to Dean who was letting Sam tell her the things she wanted to know. She was aware of the fact that without Dean's permission Sam would not tell her anything. 'Tell me now, please.' She answered enthusiastically.

'Long story short…' Sam paused before resuming. 'I was killed so Dean brought me back by striking a deal with a crossroads demon, selling his soul. He went to hell nearly a year ago and was brought back by the angel Castiel because according to him Dean is the righteous man, the only one who can save the world from Lucifer.' Sam said quickly and glanced at his sister to gauge her reaction.

'Lucifer...you mean Satan?' Her eyes widened in fear.

Sam nodded. 'There are 600 seals holding him in hell and only 66 need to be broken to let him loose. There is a demon called Lilith who is breaking the seals as we speak. That was why Dean was brought back. We're all just trying to stop the apocalypse. So, you're pretty much up to date with everything now.' He let out a deep breath.

Sam saw tears in Lara's eyes and gathered her up in his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder and met his eyes. 'Does Dean remember hell?' She asked sadly, chewing on her bottom lip.

He thought about the question for a minute. He didn't know how to approach this one. Should he tell the truth or pretend that Dean didn't remember anything. He knew the truth always came out in the end so he confessed. 'Lara, Dean has told me he remembers hell but I'm not exactly sure how much.' Sam looked away. 'We haven't really talked much since he got back. And when we do talk, it's about the jobs.' Sam tried to swallow back the lump that had formed in his throat.

Lara saw the hurt look on her big brother's face and squeezed him. 'He'll talk when he's ready.' She reassured him.

At that very moment, Dean came out of the bathroom, fully dressed and looking ready for the day ahead. He rubbed his hands together and smirked at his siblings like he didn't have a care in the world.

Lara was seeing her eldest brother in a new light. She saw his fake smile and cheery mood for what it really was, a way to cope with the nightmares he had been through. She was finding it hard to believe someone could love another person so much that they would willingly sell their soul to demons for them and go to hell. But Dean had done that for his little brother. She wondered what Sam had thought about the deal and how he had coped after he was left alone. She knew if someone did that for her, she wouldn't be able to live with herself. But she didn't have to worry; no one loved her that much anyway.

She had so many questions that she wanted to ask her brothers but knew she had already been granted her wish for answers once, twice would be pushing it.

'Come on Sammy, let's go down and check out what's for breakfast.' Dean said to Sam whilst throwing his dirty clothes in a separate bag. 'Lara, get ready kid.' He left the room, throwing a sideway glance at his younger siblings on his way out.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N; Thank you to all of you sweethearts who reviewed last chapters…I'd love it if you can do it again…and all you lazy non-reviewing people who only read but don't review you're being mean *pouts*…I will update faster if I get loads of reviews because reviews make my imagination run wild and only then I can write…**

**Stay tuned for Sam/Lara chapter next…**

Chapter 10 –

As Lara came down the stairs after getting ready, she heard voices filtering out from the nice man who her brother's called Bobby's kitchen. She strained her ears to listen whilst making her way there.

'Bobby, you know we can't do that. She's our responsibility.' Sam was arguing with the old hunter.

'I am just saying, boys. You can't take her everywhere with you. She would be safe here if you ever need a place for her.' Bobby said clearly in a no nonsense tone.

'Thanks, Bobby. Your offer means a lot. Though I hope it never comes to the day when it'll be so dangerous for her to be with us that I'll have to leave her here.' This was Dean. She felt a wave of love wash over her for her eldest brother. He didn't want to leave her anywhere alone.

There was a grunt, followed by someone clearing their throat. She took this opportunity to make herself known. She walked into the kitchen hesitantly. She looked around shyly. 'Morning.' She said.

'Morning. You sleep well kid?' Bobby responded. She nodded in answer.

Bobby and Dean were stood leaning against the kitchen counter clutching their coffee cups in their hands. Sam was sat on the kitchen table with his laptop in front of him, typing something. Lara noticed Sam had his bitchface, as Dean repeatedly called it, firmly in place.

All the men in the kitchen looked at her at her arrival and didn't take their eyes off her as she sat down on a chair at the table. She felt herself go red with all the attention that was being directed towards her. Never in her life before had she had this sort of undivided attention from so many people, she felt overwhelmed all of a sudden.

Sam saw Lara look nervously around the room. She looked uncomfortable. He realized that the reason for her discomfort was that the others in the room were staring at her and scrutinising her. He rescued her from the anxiety she looked to be feeling by drawing the others' attention back to him. 'There's not been any new sign of demon activity according to the reports. I think we're okay for now.' He said shutting the lid of his laptop.

'Good.' Dean sighed dramatically.

'Right, if you idjits have nothing else to do then I need you to run to the shops for me…I'm running low on supplies. I'll give you a list.' Bobby marched over to a cupboard and pulled out a pen and paper. He jotted the things that he needed, down on the paper and then handed the list to Dean who stuffed it in his jacket pocket without looking at it. 'And you girly, you can eat your breakfast and then help me work on a car in the garage. That okay?' Bobby raised an eyebrow. She simply nodded again.

'Lara, don't worry you'll be okay. You'll have fun with Bobby. Sammy and I used to always have fun with Bobby when we were kids and stayed here.' Dean gave her an affectionate smile and ruffled her hair as he walked past her. She slapped his hand away in annoyance. It looked like messing with her hair was soon becoming another annoying habit of Dean's. And she wasn't going to let him know that secretly she loved it.

'I'm not a kid.' She repeated to him for what seemed the umpteenth time in the short time she had known him.

Dean laughed. 'Yeah…' He said sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he left.

Bobby saw the exchange between Dean and Lara and couldn't help but smile. If it was anyone who needed affection, it was them two. Bobby could tell that Lara had already wormed her way into Dean's heart. It seemed the feeling was mutual as Lara looked at Dean as if he was her god. Bobby knew that the boy needed someone like her in his life, a purpose to keep fighting for, someone to live for.

Sam gave Lara a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek before leaving. She returned the hug with a smile. In the past few days, she had come to realise that Sam was okay with expressing his emotions unlike her other brother who made a big deal about so called chick flick moments. For that reason, showing affection towards Sam was easier and not so awkward for her. Whereas, with Dean, she got the vibe that he wouldn't allow hugs and kisses in front of anyone.

'Lara, I made pancakes for breakfast. That okay?' Bobby inquired whilst putting pancakes on a plate and snatching the honey syrup from the counter. He placed the plate in front of her. 'What do you want to drink?' He walked back over to the cupboards and fridge.

'I'll have milk, if it's no trouble.' She hesitated before answering. She hated asking someone for something. She would rather have had no drink. The old hunter was a really kind man, he obliged. He placed a chocolate milkshake powder box next to her milk providing her with the option to make her milk much tastier. She gratefully smiled at him. She loved chocolate milkshake, it was her favourite. She quickly made the drink and downed it in a few gulps. She followed this with hastily finishing her breakfast.

Lara got up after breakfast and made her way over to the sink to wash her dishes but Bobby stopped her. 'I'll do this. You go and wear something that you won't mind getting dirty, preferably something big.'

She wasn't used to having anyone do things for her but she didn't argue because she wasn't used to arguing with anyone either. She had been brought up to silently agree with everything that her mum demanded of her.

Lara couldn't find anything big that would cover her entire top. She saw Sam's dirty shirt lying on his bed and considered his reaction if she used it. It would certainly be big enough. She thought about it for a few minutes before cautiously putting it on over her clothes, the fact that it was already dirty helped in her decision. She reasoned with herself that she would wash it for him after using it so he wouldn't mind.

When she came down, Bobby was already waiting for her at the back door. He motioned for her to follow him.

Lara was amazed to see so many cars, wrecks and parts in the same place. She had never been to a salvage yard before, the sheer size of it overwhelmed her. She followed Bobby, walking through the maze of cars which were scattered all over the place. She found it a magnificent sight. There was beauty to the chaos. She didn't know much about cars but she knew she liked cars. They were beautiful machines which provided freedom. If someone could drive a car then they could be free forever…no one could hold them down.

Bobby saw her looking around with admiration and awe as she walked. 'You like this place, kid?'

She levelled her gaze at him and smiled. 'I have never been to a salvage yard before. It's beautiful with all these cars here. It looks like an artwork.' She blushed in embarrassment when she saw his knowing grin.

Bobby gave a laugh. 'I think you're probably the only girl I have ever had the pleasure to meet who thinks this junkyard is nice. Even guys don't like the place, well, except Dean and myself.'

The garage looked more like a disorganized workshop of car parts. There was just one car standing in the middle of all the mess, with tools surrounding it. Bobby smirked at her and then handed her a toolbox. 'Right, I'm going under there.' He pointed at the front of the car. 'I'll give you a shout when I need something. All you have to do is pass me stuff out of there and keep a lookout for anyone coming. Okay?'

She nodded, dumbly looking down at the different tools in the box. She didn't have a clue what anything was. She was about to tell him this but realized he was already under the car. She didn't want to disappoint the old man; he had been so nice to her. For this reason, she resigned herself to the task. She sat down on the floor beside the car with the toolbox in her lap and waited for instructions.

Fifty minutes later, Bobby emerged from underneath the car beaming. 'It's done.' He let out a whooshing breath.

Lara clapped happily in joy. She had managed to get most tools right when Bobby had needed them, only making a couple of mistakes. She was glad to have helped the old man fix the car. It had been fun although she hadn't thought she would like it. Bobby was a great teacher; he had kept up a steady stream of commentary about cars and car parts. She felt she could now hold her own if she ever had to talk about cars with anyone.

Bobby wiped his hands on a rag and said. 'I need to find a part for another car I'm working on. Let's go in the yard and see if we can find it. Or do you want to go back to the house if you're bored?' He hoped she wouldn't say she wanted to go back because he wanted to keep an eye on her which he couldn't do if she was in the house.

'No, I'll come with you.' Bobby let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. The kid seemed to be enjoying herself. She was definitely Dean's sister.

She trailed behind him, asking questions about various cars in the yard as they walked past them. Then all of a sudden, she looked at him seriously. 'Bobby, can I ask you something?'

'Yeah, sure.' He swallowed. He didn't like the sound of her serious tone.

'You knew my Dad…how was he…I mean as a person?' She asked looking down, not meeting his eyes.

'Did you not meet him?' He countered.

'I saw him a few times but just briefly, he never stayed. The times he came, he mostly talked to my mum. He always tried to come when I wasn't in and left when he saw me. Mum said it was for my own safety which at the time i didn't really get.' She sighed and shrugged. She tried to will her tears to not form in her eyes. Gosh, she must look pathetic.

'He was a good man who made some tough choices. Life wasn't fair to him. I guess he could have done a better job with you kids but I don't know…' Bobby tried to explain John Winchester to the man's own daughter which wasn't an easy feat. That guy had been hard to understand by Bobby himself so he didn't expect a kid to understand him. 'Look,Lara, all you need to know about John is he loved his kids even if he wasn't around them.'

She just sadly nodded at him. She looked hurt and so much like Dean in that moment that Bobby nearly gasped.

She walked past him indicating that the conversation was over and she wanted to move on. He followed her and they resumed their hunt for the car part with Bobby joking every now and again about her brothers to lift her mood.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N; As always, thanks for the reviews...keep them coming *pouts n sends smacking kiss to reviewers***

**let the angst begin lol...**

Chapter 11 –

It was late in the afternoon. All of them had had their dinner and were now busying themselves with various different tasks. Dean and Bobby were in the salvage yard, allegedly working on some car. Sam was in Bobby's living room with Lara. Lara was pretending to watch television as she heard Sam take out his frustrations on the keyboard of his laptop.

Lara had noticed Dean's indifference towards Sam and Sam's hurt expression when her brothers had gotten back from their shopping trip. But she hadn't said anything, hoping everything would be back to normal soon. However, they hadn't acted any different all day and she was beginning to think that maybe she did need to talk to them about it.

She hated seeing her brothers like this...so withdrawn from each other. It had been their love for each other which had made her want to be loved in the first place. So, she felt wrong to watch them so cold towards each other. She couldn't dare ask Dean to talk about such touchy subjects, for the fear that he might take offense and decide it was better to give her up to the authorities but she decided she could ask Sam. He would tell her what was wrong and not throw her into foster care for asking, she was sure.

'Sam, are you okay?' She asked him seriously, switching the tele off. She walked over to where he was sat and took the seat beside him.

'Yeah, I'm fine.' He answered, rather breathlessly. He didn't meet her eyes, and continued to work on his laptop.

'You don't look fine to me.' She hesitated a moment before placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezing it. She gave him a warm smile. 'You and Dean will be back to normal before you know it. You have nothing to worry about. Just give it time.'

He nodded soundlessly, tears shimmering in his eyes. He looked at her then and she saw tears fall out of his eyes.

'Hey, what's wrong? Sam, you can talk to me.' She said to him softly.

'Dean hates me…' He managed to croak out. She moved over to him and sat in his lap, putting her arms around him in a tight hug. She didn't let go of him. A few minutes later, she felt him shaking in her arms as he started to sob.

'No, Sam…don't say that. He does love you. That's why he worries for you.' She didn't know much about love because she had never had any but she was sure that was the right thing to say.

'I am just trying to help. He doesn't understand. He says he doesn't care anymore…that I don't need him anymore. How can he say that? How can I not need him? He's always been there for me…I've always needed him…' Renewed sobs escaped him.

'Sam, I really wish I could make it better between you two but I don't really know everything that's happened. I wish you two wouldn't fight. I don't like it. Sam, you need to understand that Dean loves you otherwise he wouldn't have gone to hell for you. He just wants what's best for you. Why don't you just listen to him…it would be for the best. And I don't want you to think I am taking sides here because I'm not. You are both equal to me…I just don't want you to be like this with each other…I don't like seeing you hurt.' She gave him a timid smile and kissed him on the cheek as she wiped his tears away. 'You don't know how lucky you guys are…not everyone has someone who loves them so much. Some people don't have anyone who loves them in the whole world.' She tried to smile and hide the sadness she felt.

Sam gasped when he realised the meaning of what she was saying. 'Lara, you don't mean yourself, do you?' He looked at her closely for any signs of her true feelings.

She couldn't answer him. She felt the lump in her throat. She knew if she spoke her voice would betray her so she simply shook her head, praying to god that she looked convincing. She hastily got out of his lap and straightened up. Clearing her throat, she said, 'I'm gonna check on the others.' She quickly left the room before Sam could see her tears which were threatening to spill out of her eyes.

When Lara was out of the room, Sam thought back to their conversation. He smiled tearfully, remembering how she had jumped into his lap to comfort him. She was right about everything. He was being stupid, hurting his siblings. He could tell that Lara was affected by Dean and his fighting. He didn't want her to be worried and sad because of him. He decided then and there that he was never going to meet Ruby again and he was going to tell Dean and Bobby about his demon-blood addiction so they could help him detox. With renewed purpose he went to find the two men at the salvage yard.

He saw Dean and Bobby talking near a car wreck. He walked over to them. 'Hey, where's Lara?' He looked around to catch a glimpse of her but she was nowhere to be seen.

'I thought she was with you.' Dean replied. 'Is she not in the house?' He asked, panic evident in his voice.

'I didn't check. She said she was coming out here. I came out to tell you guys that I am ready to talk about everything and I need help.' Sam answered.

'Well, we can do that after I find Lara.' Dean responded and then ran to the house.

'It's obvious that boy loves his little sister.' Bobby said, taking off his cap to scratch his head.

'Yeah, he does.' Sam agreed. 'I think I'll go see if he's found her.' He left Bobby and made his way back to the house.

Lara had locked herself in the bathroom after her conversation with Sam. She wanted to be alone. Seeing her brother cry like that for Dean's love and attention had brought back unpleasant memories of her own childhood.

*Flashback*

(Lara; 4 yrs old)

Wal-Mart was full of kids with their mothers, this Saturday. They all were throwing things in their trolleys and shouting at their mothers, if they didn't listen to the little brats. All, except one child. She was a beautiful brown-haired, brown-eyed adorable child who hardly spoke as she trudged behind her mother.

Her ears perked up in one of the aisles when she heard a kid say that his mom got him whatever he wanted because she loved him. She didn't understand what love meant so she asked her own mom, curiously.

'Mommy, what's love?' The little girl's mother looked at her, huffing annoyingly.

'Nothing, you need to know about.' She answered, throwing cheese in the trolley.

'You never say you love me mommy.' The little girl stated.

'That's because I don't love you.' Her mom smiled to herself.

The girl didn't know why but all of a sudden she felt like crying. She didn't ask anymore questions that day.

*Flashback end*

Dean had checked everywhere, not finding her, he was in a panic. Then he remembered he hadn't checked their bathroom. He walked over to the door and found it locked. What the hell? 'Lara, you in there? Open the door, this instant.' There was no response. 'I'm gonna count to three and then I'm gonna break in.' He heard a click and a moment later, his sister emerged.

'I was just using the bathroom…just wanted to splash some cold water on my face, that's all.' She didn't meet his eyes but she could feel his intense gaze.

Dean saw her puffy eyes and knew she had been crying. He didn't know the reason yet but that didn't stop him from wanting to comfort her. He pulled her in his arms. At first, she remained limp and didn't return his hug but when he tightened his hold and started to soothingly stroke her head and back, she put her arms around him and started to cry.

'Lara, why are you crying?' He held her chin so she had to look at him.

She shook her head. She wasn't going to tell him.

'Please, Lara. Tell me.' He insisted.

She didn't want to tell him but she had never disobeyed anyone in her life. And she didn't know if he would be mean to her if she didn't listen to him, the way her mom used to be. Dean was a grown-up just like her mom. 'I was talking to Sam about something and it reminded me of when I was a kid.' It was the truth, he couldn't be mad at her now. She didn't have to tell him the details.

Dean nodded and wrapped her in his arms again. He saw Sam come in the room looking concerned. He gave him a look that said, we-need-to-talk. 'Lara, you look tired. Lay down for a while. Me and Sam will be down if you need us. Okay?'

She nodded and sat down on Dean's bed which was now her bed too. She got in bed after taking her shoes off. Dean tucked her in and then planted a kiss on her head before leaving behind Sam.

In the kitchen, Sam asked Dean, 'What was all that about?'

'You tell me.' Dean rubbed his aching head. 'I found her locked up in the bathroom crying. She wouldn't open up until I threatened to break in. Then she wouldn't tell me why she was crying. When I wouldn't let it go, she said she was talking to you about something that reminded her about when she was a kid. So, I'm asking you Sammy, what was so damn sad for the kid?'

'She asked me about our fighting. She said she hated it. She kept telling me how you love me and want the best for me. Wait, she said something that…no, but it can't be that.' Sam said, thoughtfully.

'What did she say?' Dean was angry with Sam's lack of understanding of how vulnerable Lara really was.

'She said how we were lucky to have someone who loved us because some people had no one in the whole world who loved them.' Sam tried to quote her.

'Shit.' Dean was pacing frantically.

'I asked her if she was talking about herself because it sounded like that but she shook her head. I assumed she was talking in general. Do you think it was that?' Sam was now astounded to realise what she had really meant.

'You're such a stupid bitch, sometimes. Of course, she was talking about herself. Who else would she be talking about?' Dean headed upstairs, after throwing a 'Stay here, I'm gonna talk to her' over his shoulder.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N; as always thanks to the few who review, i am eternally grateful, keep 'em coming...tell me what you think, any requests etc...**

**and those of you readers who can't be bothered to review...that is mean *pouts* its a bit like siding with alistair over dean, i know that's blasphemous but thats why i'm using that analogy so review if you love dean over alistair....**

Chapter 12 –

'Dean, wait…' Sam followed Dean up the stairs to their room.

Dean barged into the room, looking like someone had crashed his Impala. Lara saw the look of hurt and anger on his face and cringed. What was wrong now? She saw Sam following Dean into the room. She hid her face in the covers. She wasn't ready for what she believed they were there for. Dean sat down on the bed beside her. Leaning against the headboard, he bent one of his legs under the other. She could feel his body heat radiating off him. It was comforting somehow to feel him so close to her. She felt safe. Sam sat on his own bed which was adjacent to theirs.

'Lara, we need to talk to you. Is that okay, baby?' Dean saw Sam's smile from the corner of his eye but he didn't care. If his losing all his male pride and having a massive chick flick moment in front of Sam was going to convince her that he loved her then he was prepared to do just that.

Sam couldn't hide his amusement at Dean's behaviour. Usually, Dean would swear on his favourite pie that he wasn't the emotional type. Going as far as to say he hated the chick flick moments as he called them. Sam knew he rarely ever showed his real emotions or allowed anyone to see him when he felt vulnerable. Sam was also aware of the fact that he was one of a few select, if not the only one, who had seen Dean when he was emotional. Dean was constantly on his case for being sensitive, although he himself was sensitive because making fun of Sam helped him cover up his own softer side. However, it amazed Sam how, when his big brother thought his family was hurting then he always forgot about his reputation and dove straight into the chick flick moments.

'Lara?' Dean tried to get the cover off her face. She squirmed and shook his hand off her, remaining hidden under her covers. But he could see the top half of her head over the covers. He leaned in and placed a kiss there, on her cover-less head. She finally lowered the covers cautiously.

Dean saw her tear-stained face, her big brown eyes still shimmering. His heart constricted at the sight. Wiping the tears off her face with his bare hands, he smiled at her lovingly. 'Why are you crying? Didn't I tell you that you didn't need to cry anymore?' She nodded. The haunted look in her eyes killed him. She looked so hurt. It was almost as though her pain was coming off her in waves.

Sam grabbed hold of his sister's hand as he sat down beside her, opposite of Dean, on their bed. 'Lara, you know you can talk to us. We're your brothers. Just tell us what's wrong.' Sam drew circles on the back of her hand with his thumb.

She shook her head stubbornly. 'Please kiddo.' Sam gave her a warm smile.

Lara hoped she wasn't going to regret baring her soul to her brothers. She looked at their expectant faces with their smiles and she didn't know why but she felt safe. In that moment, she felt her new brothers could take her pain away. 'I know you didn't ask for me to be born, it's not your fault so it's okay if you don't love me. But my mum and dad, they made me and they still…why didn't they love me? I didn't do anything wrong. If someone had asked me before my birth I would have said no to being born. I have wished for my death for so long now. But instead mommy and daddy are dead. It's all my fault. I'm just a burden.' She said in one breath, fresh tears falling down her cheeks. She let out a deep sigh of resignation. She felt tired. She just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry herself to sleep.

The brothers exchanged horrified glances. Dean cleared his throat from the lump that was fast forming there and blinked rapidly to make sure he didn't tear up. 'Lara, your mum and dad did love you. They just didn't know how to show it. You are not a burden, i don't want to ever hear you say that. And what's this, you wishing you were dead...how dare you even think of such a stupid thing...I don't want you to wish that ever again.' The conversation was serious and it was about something that hurt his baby, Dean knew he couldn't diffuse the tension by making jokes it would be hurtful to her so he instead talked.

'But mommy said she didn't ever love me and she never would. And dad never stayed when I was around. He hardly ever said hi to me. He only spoke to me once, to give me a knife…I realised he was trying to tell me to use it for…I'm such a coward.' She stopped when she saw the freaked-out looks on her brothers' faces. Great, now they would know about the suicidal tendencies. She had only been trying to point out her reasons for why she believed that no one loved her.

'I don't know about anyone else Lara but I love you.' Sam squeezed her hand, reassuringly. He gave an obvious look to Dean, hoping his dumbass of a brother would take the hint and agree with what he had just said.

'I love you too, Sam. You don't know how grateful I am to you two for not handing me over to the authorities. I couldn't live…' Lara said and then looked up to meet her eldest brother's emerald eyes. She wanted his love and approval more than anything in the world. But he didn't say anything, which broke her heart.

'I…I…' Dean stammered, feeling his sibling's heated gaze on him. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her but Sam was watching. He already felt vulnerable and exposed; he didn't need Sam teasing him even more about chick flick moments. If he said something like that then Sam would never let him live it down. He settled with, 'Don't trust the system.'

'Lara, Dean just doesn't like anyone knowing how he really feels. Believe me, he's been my brother for 26 years now but I've rarely heard him say I love you to anyone. He's just emotionally repressed and retarded.' Sam smiled cheekily.

Dean flung a pillow in his direction. 'Hey, dude…its true.' Sam said, bitch face firmly in place as he threw the pillow back. He saw Lara's lips twitch at their antics, which in turn made him smile. 'I'm going to go see what's Bobby up to.' Sam sensed that his brother wasn't finished with his talk so he didn't ask him to join him. Sam leant down and kissed Lara on the cheek before leaving.

When Dean was sure Sam was really gone, he lifted Lara's head gently, placed it in his lap and started stroking her hair. 'Lara?'

She sighed. The head massage was making her sleepy. 'Mmm…' She had her eyes shut.

'I couldn't say it in front of Sam because…you know…but I want you to know something.' He hesitated a little when she opened her eyes and shifted so she could look at him properly.

'What?' She saw her brother look around the room, scratching the back of his neck. Was Dean shy? She couldn't believe it. He looked cute like a little shy kid.

'I don't care if no one else ever loved you because you don't need love of those awful people anyway.' He saw her eyes water and realised his mistake. 'What I mean to say is, I love you and everyone else who can't see how special you are, they can go to hell. You're my baby…' Before he could finish what he wanted to say, he felt her suddenly jolt upright and wrap her arms around him in a tight hug.

'I love you too, Dean. Please never leave me.' She said, not letting go.

'Never.' Dean felt a sudden rush of love and protectiveness towards his little sister.

'Promise?' She asked pleadingly.

'Promise.' He kissed her on her head. 'You look tired. Go to sleep.'

On cue, she yawned. 'Okay. Can you lie down with me until I fall asleep?' She asked, pouting.

He nodded. How could anyone say no to that look? He had no chance when she pouted. Something told him that she was trying to make up for the lack of love she had felt all her life so he obliged.

Lara rested her head on her brother's chest, her favourite pillow and shut her eyes. She felt his strong arm drape around her and sighed contently. No monsters could ever hurt her if she was with her brothers and they had now told her they loved her so they wouldn't leave her alone somewhere.

Dean watched her sleeping. She was sound asleep, had been for quite a while. He didn't know how long he had been watching her when he too fell asleep. He woke up to the sound of the door opening. He grudgingly decided it was time to get up. He opened his eyes to see Sam standing in the room facing them.

'Hey, dinner's ready. Bobby said to get you two. God, you two are such sleepy-heads.' Sam rolled his eyes.

'Sure.' Dean replied sarcastically. 'I'm gonna use the bathroom; you wake Lara up.' He said, before going into the bathroom.

'Lara…Lara…wake up.' Sam shook her gently.

'What?' She whined.

'Wake up, kiddo. Dinner's ready.' Sam huffed, crossing his arms on his chest.

Lara couldn't help the giggle that escaped her at Sam exasperated look. He glared at her. 'Right, I'm getting up. What time is it?' She untangled herself from the sheets.

'Six in the evening. I'm helping Bobby so I better go. He'll have my ass if he thinks I meant to take my time.' Worry came over Sam's features at the prospect of Bobby's wrath.

'I'll be down in a minute, just need to use the bathroom.' She said, trudging over to it. Her hand was on the doorknob when Sam rushed towards her and stopped her with a 'no', said rather loudly.

'What?' She was confused. Her brain was still half-sleep. She seriously needed to wash her face with cold water.

'Dean's in there. He just woke up too.' Sam breathed out.

'Doesn't he lock the door? He was asleep?' She inquired.

'Sometimes, to the first question and Yeah, to the second.' Sam looked behind as if expecting Bobby to materialise any minute demanding why he was still upstairs.

'I told him to stay with me until I fell asleep. I guess he must've been tired…' Lara shrugged.

'Yeah, he seems to be sleeping better since you share with him.' Sam muttered.

'What do you mean?' She was curious. She wanted to know everything about her brothers and any information she got she happily cherished.

'Since hell, he's been having nightmares. He didn't say anything but he couldn't sleep. I think now he's sleeping better, so he's just trying to catch up.' Sam said.

In that instant, Bobby's shouts could be heard in the bedroom. Making Sam jump and run out. Dean walked out, still yawning. He smiled at her. 'So, ready to go down? Were you waiting for me? Awww…' He put his arm around her shoulder.

'Need to go bathroom.' She got out of his half embrace, and headed to the bathroom.

'Want me to wait for you?' Dean shouted just before she locked the door.

'No, I'm fine.'

'Okay. Don't take too long or else I'll send Sammy up to get you.' She heard his muffled voice and rolled her eyes. Seriously, Dean gave protectiveness a whole new meaning.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N; Thanks to my ever-faithful reviewers I write for you… And those of you who didn't review I guess it's cause you DO like Alistair better than Dean *wide eyes*…**

**This story will be AU, as in I am not turning a sweet sis-fic into an apocalyptic event. We have Kripke doing that already. But there will be mentions of the apocalypse and stuff because that was the initial reason for Dean coming back from hell. I will explain how they get themselves out of the 'saving-the-world/breaking seals' thing so don't worry. I don't write half-assed stories…**

**PS; Hetal, Sam/Lara moments will be further on in the story when she finds out everything about the demon thing, don't worry…**

Chapter 13 –

Four days had passed since Lara had talked to her brothers about her feelings. Lara and Dean were sat in the living room watching television as Bobby spoke on the phone with someone.

Dean ran a hand across his face. He felt drained. Sam was still in the panic room getting rid of his demon-blood addiction. Dean hadn't told Lara about the blood addiction instead saying it was drugs that Sam needed to get out of his system. Although Bobby had advised him to tell the kid everything, he just couldn't taint her innocence. He didn't want her to be scared of Sam. It hurt his heart to think about Sam. His little brother had finally come clean about his real reasons to stick with that demon whore, Ruby. Dean had vowed he was going to be the one to hunt the bitch down and kill her.

Bobby came in with a worried look on his face, pulling Dean from his reverie. 'That was a hunter friend of mine. He said he's captured a demon that has information about Lilith.'

Dean sighed and gave the old hunter, who he loved like a father, an intense look. 'You want us to go to check it out now? Bobby, we can't leave Lara alone with Sam like that.' Dean felt frustrated.

'Nah, you idjit. Course not. I was going to say that I'm going to check it out. And you stay here with the kids.' Bobby scratched his head, taking his cap off. 'Just so you know where I am.' Bobby scribbled an address on a piece of paper and handed it to Dean. 'Right, I should get going.' He left the living room.

'Lara, stay here. I'll just go and check on Sammy.' Dean got up and headed to the panic room. As he was walking down the hall towards the room, he heard the door clicking open. He remained in the shadows as he saw Castiel look sadly at the now open door and then disappear. Dean was shocked. He felt betrayed. What the hell were the angels playing at? A scream of pain brought him back to reality. He composed himself and then locked the door of the panic room again. He was glad he had been in time…had seen Cas open the door with his own eyes because he wouldn't have believed it otherwise.

Dean opened the small rectangular opening for his eyes to check on his brother. Sam was lying on the bed passed out. Dean felt a surge of emotion, he wanted to go to his little brother and take his pain away but he knew he was helpless. He decided that the least he could do was make sure no one interfered with Sam's detox. He left his brother and went back to his sister.

'Is Sam feeling better?' Lara asked concerned when she saw Dean come in.

'He'll be okay. Lara, can you do me a favour and make me some coffee.' He needed to talk to Castiel alone. She nodded smiling and gave him a hug on her way out.

'Sam will be okay, I promise. Don't worry.' She said before leaving.

Dean silently called Castiel. With a resounding flutter of his wings, the angel materialised before him. 'What can I do for you, Dean?' Cas tilted his head curiously as always.

'Drop the act. I saw you opening the panic room door. You're just like the others I can't believe I trusted you.' Dean said feeling hurt and disgusted.

'Dean, I know you saw. I wanted you to see.' Cas replied calmly.

'What?' Dean was confused all of a sudden, having forgotten his anger for a minute.

'Dean, I got orders to let Sam out. It appears heaven wants him to go dark side. It didn't feel right so I only opened the door when you saw me. I knew you would re-lock it. I can't disobey my superiors, Dean. Now, it isn't my fault Sam will get better. I opened the door after all.' Cas levelled a look at Dean which clearly demanded to be understood for what he was really saying.

In that moment, Dean understood the angel's intentions. He realised the angel had helped him without making it obvious. 'Thanks Cas. Is there anything else I should know other than that heaven is now after my brother too?'

'I have heard whispers in heaven. They concern Lilith but I am not sure as I don't have such a strong connection with heaven at the moment due to being in my vessel for some time now.' Cas said in a whisper as though someone might be listening in to their conversation. 'I am not supposed to tell you this. I could fall for helping you.' Cas' eyes widened once he realised what he had just done.

'Thanks Cas for helping. I always knew you were a truly faithful god's angel unlike those other feathery dicks.' Dean smiled at him. He saw Lara carry in a tray of food. She looked up and beamed at Cas excitedly when she saw him.

'Castiel…oh, hi…erm, would you like something to eat.' She pointed at the food on the tray.

'No thankyou. I need to get going.' There was a flutter of wings and he vanished.

'Baby, you're spoiling me.' Dean said as he tasted his perfect coffee and started munching on the cherry pie Bobby and Lara had bought when they had gone to shop for food earlier that day.

Lara smiled as she watched her eldest brother gobble down his food. 'I just wish Sam could be here with us. He must be feeling lonely.' She admitted sadly.

Dean put his now-empty plate on the coffee table and solemnly nodded. 'I wish that too.' He saw the sad look on her face and was reminded of Sam's puppy dog eyes. 'Come here.' He took his sister's hand and guided her to sit in his lap. 'No matter what anyone ever says, don't ever forget me and Sammy love you.' She nodded. Chewing her bottom lip she looked at him undecidedly. 'What's up?' He didn't like that look. It was the same look Sam used before he asked some deep question or was looking for a chick flick moment. Dean belatedly realised he had just been having that very kind of moment with his baby sister.

'Can I ask you something?' Lara paused to get his affirmation. 'Do you remember hell?' She saw his frown and rushed her explanation as she didn't want him angry with her. 'It's just Sam said that since I started sharing with you, you sleep better. So, I asked him what he meant and he said that when you came back from hell you couldn't sleep because of nightmares.'

'Sam shouldn't have said anything.' Dean grimaced, his mind replayed images of hell that had haunted his nights for so long.

'Dean, you need to talk about it with someone. It isn't good to keep things bottled up inside like that. I'm glad you sleep better when I'm with you. But why don't you talk to Sam about it? I think it would help. It might help in getting Sam off drugs too because he'll be grateful for life then.' She looked at him, gauging his reaction.

Dean pulled her in a hug. 'You give good advice but you should follow it too, don't you think?' He saw her glare at him and couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of him. She looked so cute, trying to look angry with a sulky face and a pout.

'You're changing the subject.' She declared, huffing.

'Damn right I am. Lara, you're too young to be talking about this.' The serious mood was back. He tried to look away from her.

'That's why I said talk to Sam.' She argued.

'I can't.' Dean didn't want to admit to her how much it hurt to say that he couldn't talk to his own brother.

'Why not?' She felt annoyed.

'Why can't you leave this subject?' He looked ready to throw her out of his lap and run.

Lara leaned all her weight on him incase he did try to make a run for it. 'Because I know you wouldn't.'

'So…I am your big brother. I am supposed to know everything.'

'Yeah thanks for pointing it out.' She said sarcastically. 'I won't let you up if you don't tell me, Dean.' She told him stubbornly.

'I can lift you baby.' He grinned at her wide-eyed look turn into angry-kitten look.

'Well, I'll tell Bobby when he comes back that you were being mean to me.' She crossed her arms huffing, still sitting in his lap.

Dean just sighed in exasperation and threw his hands up in a show of defeat. 'We used to be really close until the whole hell thing happened. Then…well…when I came back I thought it'd be the same, you know. But I was wrong. Sam was different. He started lying to me, keeping secrets and he snuck out in the middle of night. He hurt me…here, I was thinking he'd be happy I'm out but instead he acted as if it was the worst thing ever. We haven't really talked unless it's important. I guess we've both changed. He used to need me but not anymore.' Dean didn't dare meet his sister's eyes for fear that she might see his unshed tears. It turns out he didn't have to hide, she seemed to know.

She wrapped her arms around him, trying to comfort him. 'He does need you and love you. He's just lost. He wants you to show him some love and attention.'

'Did he say something to you?' Dean asked impatiently, wanting to know about anything his brother thought.

'I just have a feeling.' She answered. 'On with the next question, do you remember hell…you still have nightmares?'

'Yes and I'm not telling you anything.' He glared at her.

'I don't think I wanna know about hell. But I am curious, how come you can sleep better with me?' She levelled her eyes at him so she could read him better. His face was so expressive sometimes if you knew what to look for. She knew he was feeling embarrassed.

He worried his bottom lip and scratched the back of his head. 'I feel safe when you're sleeping with me…I don't have as many bad nightmares. God, I sound like a baby.'

She smiled at her big brother's embarrassment. 'No you don't. I feel safe with you too.'

A heavy silence descended upon the room. Both didn't want to be the first one to break it as they didn't know what else to say. Dean was feeling exposed, having just bared his soul to his little sister and Lara was feeling guilty for thinking her life had been crap when she now knew her brothers were more damaged than her.

After a while, Lara found the perfect excuse. 'I should clear up before Bobby gets back. He wouldn't appreciate mess like this.' She pointed at the tray on the table with the empty plate and cup on it.

Dean nodded. 'Yeah, you're right. I'll go check on Sam, see if he wants some pie.' He hastily left the room.

Bobby came back from his friend's place late at night. Dean had insisted Lara go to bed and Sam seemed to be sleeping too. He had tried to persuade his brother to eat but Sam looked angrily at the food and growled at Dean in an animalistic manner, making him retreat to safety for the sake of his sister.

Dean sat on a chair in the kitchen waiting for Bobby to spill. Bobby looked thoughtful. There was something different in his expression that Dean hadn't seen before.

'Right, boy. Don't know how to tell you this but we're in deep shit.' Bobby took a swig of his strong whiskey which he kept for occasions like these.

Dean grunted, taking a small sip of his own drink. He was gonna be sharing his bed with his baby sister, it just felt wrong to get drunk. Therefore, he kept his alcohol intake to the minimum.

'According to the demon that I just exorcised, Lilith is the key.' Bobby mumbled.

'Meaning?' Dean raised an eyebrow.

'She is the most important seal herself. If we kill her then Lucifer will rise.' Bobby let out an angry sound.

'But we can't let her live.' Dean felt a headache coming on.

'She won't live. She's only walking the earth cause she was summoned by a demon. She's been summoned before…it's not the first time in two million years. She only has one mission on earth, to free Lucifer. She has an expiry date. I mean if she can't get herself killed by the chosen one by the chosen time then she'll return to hell until she's summoned again.' Bobby took a long breath and rubbed sleep out of his eyes.

'Who could have summoned her?' Dean wondered.

'My guess is Ruby. She seems to have been prepping Sam for killing Lilith. Why else do you think she was helping you track down Lilith? I think Sam is the chosen one, that's why the demons wanted him.' Bobby pointed out seriously.

'That bitch, I'm gonna kill her.' Dean spat out venomously.

'Yeah, I understand the feeling.' Bobby said, drinking more of his drink.

'What we're gonna do?' Dean felt unsure all of a sudden.

'Nothing for now. I'm gonna research this claim. If Lilith has walked the earth before then there is bound to be some evidence. What I don't understand is why are the angels persuading you to kill Lilith. Unless they want the apocalypse to happen.' Bobby scratched the back of his neck thoughtfully.

'Yeah, about that. Apparently heaven wants Sammy to go dark side. They sent Cas to open the panic room door but I got there in time.' Dean sighed resigned and looked into his drink.

'Cas?' Bobby asked, shock marring his face.

'He helped, told me about it whilst still doing his job.' Dean shrugged.

'I'm beat. It's too much to take in. I'm going to bed. You go to sleep too.' Bobby got up to leave.

'Okay. Let me just check on Sammy.' Dean left before Bobby could say anything.

Bobby shook his head. 'Winchesters…Idjits…'


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N; I want to apologize for the wait as my muse was pissed so she wasn't much of a help (don't tell her I said this, she'll abandon me or go on strike again *rolls eyes*)…I found it hard to get something written…and I was busy…**

**I want to thank my ever-faithful reviewers…I write for you guys, just keep believing in me and reviewing… And those of you who didn't review I guess it's cause you don't like the story or you're just so damn lazy *pouts*…**

Chapter 14 –

'You okay, Sammy?' Dean asked his brother again. He was sat on the kitchen table cleaning his weapons.

Sam was sat on the table working on his laptop. He shut his eyes painfully for a moment and fisted his hands. He took a deep breath and let it out before opening his eyes. Feeling a little calmer than before, he answered his brother. 'Dean, for the hundredth time…yes…I am okay. It's over, Dean. So, let it the fuck go. It's been eight days, I'm still a freak but I don't feel the urge to suck some demon dry anymore. You don't have to worry.'

'Sam!' Bobby was shocked to hear the youngest hunter's words. He nearly dropped the hot burgers and fries he was plating up for dinner when he heard Sam's outburst.

Lara chose that moment to walk into the kitchen. She felt the tension in the room and looked around at the three men. Sam gave her a forced smile but the others didn't seem to think it necessary. Bobby looked shocked and Dean just looked hurt. Lara had bit her bottom lip just in time to stop herself from saying something cheery as she walked in through the back door. Judging by the looks on the kitchen's occupants' faces, she had probably walked in on a serious discussion which meant it was a bad time. Something told her they wouldn't have appreciated cheerfulness.

'Hey guys, I thought dinner was ready.' Lara smiled at them as she nervously tried to diffuse the tension that hung in the air. When no one replied, she became self-conscious all of a sudden and decided to escape. 'I think I forgot to shut the light off in the garage. I'll just go and switch it off.' She added as she hastily started to retrace her steps.

Her words penetrated Bobby's mind, making him shake his head. 'Hey kid, it's okay. I'll check it later. Have your dinner. It's ready. It'll get cold if you go now.' He started bringing the plates to the kitchen table.

After washing her hands, Lara moved over to the kitchen counter to help him.

'You, boys, pack your toys and wash your hands too.' He glared at them when he saw the look on their faces. He knew what they were thinking and were about to say…that they weren't hungry. Like hell anyone would stay empty stomach in Bobby's home, the old hunter thought.

Lara took her seat between Bobby and Dean, opposite Sam, as usual. As they all began their meal, she noticed her brothers' indifference towards each other. There was a mood of hostility in the air. All the men at the table barely spoke as they busied themselves with their food. Lara saw Dean picking at his food instead of eating it. She knew her eldest brother never picked at food and to see him do it, scared her. It made her grasp the seriousness of what had happened before she had untimely sauntered in.

She couldn't live with her brothers fighting. It broke her heart to see them hurt and so distant. And to think that their love had awakened her need to be loved, it made her feel responsible to get them back on good terms. She just wished they would get over their stubbornness and talk to each other so they could sort out their problems. She was torn in her need to comfort them. She didn't know who needed the comfort more because they both looked equally sad and defeated.

Sam got up with his plate still half full. 'Sorry Bobby, I'm just not hungry.' He pointedly looked at his food.

'It's okay. Just leave it. I'll give it to Rumsfeld.' Bobby motioned for him to leave the food as he took a swig of his beer.

Sam nodded. He grabbed his laptop and walked over to the door with the intention to leave. He didn't meet anyone's eye as he mumbled, 'I'm tired. I think I'm gonna hit the sack.' He left, not waiting to hear what the others would say.

Dean was overcome with renewed grief and hurt as he saw his little brother leave. He gave Bobby a silent crushed look when the older hunter, who was like a father to Dean, gave him a supportive and sympathetic look. Dean then looked over at his baby sister who was eating as fast as she possibly could. Feeling his eyes on her, she looked up at him from her plate and gave him a shy smile. She then offered him a bite of her burger as always. He shook his head and ruffled her hair, smiling lovingly at her when she smacked his hand looking adoringly annoyed at him like she always did when he messed up her hair.

Dean didn't want Lara to be dragged into the mess that his and Sam's relationship had become. Hoping she'd stay out of it if she didn't know about their fights, he had told Sam never to mention their fights to her. Putting her in the position where she had to choose whose side she was on didn't sit well with Dean. He told himself that he was thinking about her feelings when he had made that decision. Although, deep down, he knew his fear that she would choose to take Sam's side over his had been the deciding factor.

Lara quickly finished her food, not wanting to waste it. She got up and washed her dishes. She didn't want to make it obvious that she was in a hurry but she couldn't help it. She needed to go and check if Sam was okay. 'Sam was saying he was going to give me some maths puzzles. I think I'll go and check if he's awake. You know, I haven't studied anything for over a week. I might get out of practice if I don't give my brain a workout.' She tried to plaster a smirk on her face. She felt stupid, having to explain why she was going after her brother.

Dean and Bobby both silently nodded at her. She saw Dean's eyes shimmer before he looked away. A big part of her wanted to stay with him to comfort him but she felt that it would be the wrong thing to do because Dean had had her to himself for a week whereas Sam had been all alone. No one knew better than her how it felt like to be alone. Sam needed comfort more than Dean now, she knew this from experience. But she didn't have the heart to let her other brother down either so she wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and leaning forward kissed him on the cheek. She whispered, 'I love you, Dean. You're the most awesome brother in the world.' and then pulled away. She speedily left before he could respond.

Dean couldn't help but smile. He didn't know when her opinion had become the most important in the world but it had. He loved her more than life itself and to have her say these things meant the world to him. He knew she had gone after Sam for other reasons than her wanting to study maths but he wasn't hurt about that anymore. She had comforted him in her own way before going off to comfort her other brother rather than neglecting him. He could live with that.

Lara opened the bedroom door hesitantly. She felt nervous all of a sudden. What was she supposed to say to him? Now that she thought of it, her eldest brother was easier to comfort. All she needed to say was she loved him and he felt better as if his family's love was his medicine, the cure to all his ailments. He didn't need to talk, not like Sam did. 'Sam, you awake?' She could just about make out the figure under the bed covers in the dark. She walked in and cautiously sat beside Sam on his bed. She put the bedside lamp on. 'Sam, I wanna talk to you.' She declared.

There was a muffled, 'Not now please.'

She huffed at his weak attempt to get rid of her, feeling frustrated. A moment later, she yanked his covers off his face and grinned at him as he glared at her. 'So, what's up?' She tried not to sound desperate for an answer. She saw Sam worrying his lip as he thought whether he should tell her or not. 'Hmm?' She encouraged.

'I think I hurt Dean's feelings. He was just asking me if I was okay and I flipped out. I said some things I shouldn't have. I know he's just worried. But I was sick of it. He kept on repeating himself.' Sam met his sister's steady gaze.

'I don't blame you. I think anyone would be pissed. But Dean is worried cause he loves you. You had a tough week without the drugs. He's just a little paranoid of the drugs. You know how he is, he even hates taking medicines when he's in pain.' She argued.

'Lara, it wasn't drugs.' Sam said in almost a whisper.

'What?'

'Nothing.' Sam dropped his eyes and started fingering the covers.

'No, you said it wasn't drugs. What do you mean…what was it then?' She asked him wide eyed.

Sam hesitated. He nervously looked around and then gave her his best puppy dog look. 'I don't know how to tell you this but I was detoxing from an addiction to demon blood.' Sam saw the emotions play across her face as her expressions changed from confusion to fear, then anger and finally settling on confusion again.

'Did I just hear you say demon blood and addiction in the same sentence?' Lara saw stars blur her vision. She felt like she was going to faint. She waited for her brother to explain himself, to clarify what he had said because she sure as hell hadn't understood him. She must've heard him wrong.

Sam nodded. 'Lara, I was addicted to demon blood.' He sat up in the bed and rested against the head board. He saw her try to say something as she processed what he had confirmed. She was opening and closing her mouth like a fish, looking totally shocked.

Lara repeated the sentence back in her head slowly, several times. Mentally shaking herself because she knew Sam was waiting for her to say something, she grabbed hold of his hand and squeezed it affectionately. She wanted him to know she still loved him, no matter what. 'How? Sam I wanna know everything. No watered down versions, just the whole truth from the beginning.' Her tone was deadly serious and she stared him down, daring him to disagree.

Sam took a deep shaky breath. He knew if he told her the whole truth then Dean would kill him. But she had a right to know and he was as much her brother as Dean was. So, he decided that it wasn't for his big brother to decide what he could tell his sister. He squeezed her small hand and gave her smile. And then began telling her about everything, his Mom, Jess, Yellow eyes, their Dad, hunting, his Stanford years at which point he stopped when he saw the look on her face. 'What?'

'It's just I was thinking, normal is so over-rated. I lived the normal life and believe me I'd choose this life over that any day.' She shrugged. 'Sorry, please continue.' She added.

'You kinda know the rest. You know, my death, Dean's deal, Lilith.' He broke off.

'So, you've had the addiction since Yellow eyes?' She was confused.

'No, I got the addiction because of Ruby. She is a demon who met us when Dean had made the deal. She said she could help me save him and I believed her but I couldn't save Dean. When he left…I tried so hard…it hurt.' Sam sobbed brokenly. Lara moved closer to him and hugged him tightly. Sam choked on his next words. 'I was so lonely. I just wanted my brother back so I decided to become powerful enough to kill Lilith because she took Dean away. Ruby said I would become powerful only if I drank her blood. I didn't know what else to do.' He admitted, tears streaking his face.

'Aww Sammy. What's done is done. It's in the past. Dean's back. You're not alone anymore. Dean's here, I'm here and Bobby's here. We'll hunt down that Demon skank Ruby and you can be the one who kills her. After all, it's all her fault that you and Dean are fighting. And I think if you're the one to do it, it'll help your relationship with Dean.' She replied thoughtfully.

Sam was amused to hear his tiny sister vowing to hunt a demon down, using bad words. She sounded just like his big brother. As this realization hit him, he felt jealousy for missing a week of her life. He had the sudden urge to ask her what they had done whilst he was locked away in the panic room but he wasn't ready to hear what he thought to be the truth. The truth, that he wasn't missed…that they had been happy to be rid of him for a while...that they had fun without him.

The room was plunged into an awkward silence as both of the inhabitants got lost in their own thoughts.

Lara held on to her brother, getting into a comfortable position beside him on the bed. She felt happy that her brother trusted her enough to pour his heart out to her. She vowed to make everything better between her brothers because she wasn't ready to lose her brothers when she had just found them. Her young mind found it hard to take everything Sam had told her and process it in sensible information. But she was sure of one thing, she loved her brothers and nothing was gonna change that. Now that she thought about it, it seemed that they were all broken, damaged and cursed.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N; I want to apologize for the wait as I was busy with exams and then had a bad case of flu…**

**I want to thank my ever-faithful reviewers…I write for you guys, just keep believing in me and reviewing… And those of you who didn't review I guess it's cause you don't like the story or you're just so damn lazy *pouts*…**

Chapter 15 –

'What? Sam told you everything?' Dean paced around Bobby's living room, looking furious. It looked as though he was ready to seriously lash out at something or explode any minute.

Lara was sat on the couch, following her eldest brother's movements with growing unease and nervousness. She had come down to talk to Dean after Sam had fallen asleep due to his exhaustion and his heartache. Looking at Sam's tear-streaked face, pained even in his sleep, she had decided she had to tell Dean how hurt Sam was by Dean's treatment of him. She felt guilty about telling what one brother had told her in confidence to her other brother. She felt like a traitor. But she knew she had no other choice because she wanted to convince Dean to actually talk to Sam and not fight with him for a change.

'Dean, don't freak out. I'm glad I know everything now.' Lara bit her lip when she saw him stop and level a glare at her. 'Dean, please just calm down. Sam didn't go into graphic details. He didn't scare me in any way.' Lara admitted, huffing. Seriously, Dean was a little too protective at times which pissed her off when she wasn't in the mood to find it sweet.

'But you're just a kid. I can't let him talk to you about these things. It's wrong.' He whined. 'You're our kid sister, for Christ's sake…my baby.' He added, smiling adorably at her when he saw her pout.

'I'm 12 yrs old.' She rolled her eyes. He always called her a kid, his baby. She secretly loved it when he said that she was his baby but she wasn't ever going to let him know it.

'Exactly, just a kid.' He smirked, satisfied with his response.

'Dean, this isn't about me. Sam's needs you to be there for him. Why are you being such a pain in the ass? Why can't you see he's hurting? You are being unreasonable.' She angrily said, narrowing her eyes at him and crossing her arms over her chest.

'What about my hurt? Huh? Or is that not important?' Dean asked quietly, burning holes in her with his intense eyes. He stood in front of her, waiting for her answer.

She looked away from him. Not being able to look him in the eye, instead she focused her gaze on a spot in the carpet that looked interesting all of a sudden.

Lara took a deep breath and then quickly made her mind up. She had to do this even though it was going to kill her. After all, it was for the greater good. 'Dean, don't act childish. You're being selfish. You're older than Sam. You should know better than this.' She saw his expression change and for the first time since she met him, she didn't know what he was feeling.

'You think Sam's right and I'm wrong?' He asked her softly, looking defeated, after a long minute of painful silence.

'Dean, I'm not taking sides here but I think you are being insensitive towards Sam. He did this because he didn't know what else to do without you. Why can't you just talk to him and hear him out?' She got up from her seat when he grabbed his jacket and keys. 'Where are you going?' She asked in a panic.

'I need to get some supplies. We'll hit the road tomorrow. So, pack up.' He said and then left.

Shit. What had she done? Lara wanted to cry. It wasn't fair. Finally she had someone who loved her for who she was but she had to go and ruin it. She should have just minded her own damn business. Dean must hate her now, thinking that she's taking sides even though she wasn't. She would never do that. These thoughts kept playing in her head as she headed upstairs and started to pack.

She didn't know how long she had been packing when Sam sat up in his bed, bleary-eyed.

'What are you doing?' He asked groggily.

'Packing. Dean said we're leaving tomorrow. You want me to pack your stuff?' She asked as she looked over at him.

'I'll do it myself.' He got out of the bed and started gathering his stuff to neatly fold and place in his duffel. 'So, you had a word with Dean then.' It wasn't a question, more of a statement.

'Yeah. I went down to talk to him when you fell asleep.' She didn't dare look at him for fear she'd see his accusatory eyes looking back at her.

'So, where is he now?' Sam looked at her, waiting for an answer.

Lara paused in what she was doing and sat down on her bed. 'Look, Sam, I told Dean about your feelings. I know I probably should've just minded my own damn business. I just…I can't take it anymore…watching you guys hurting like this. I'm sorry for betraying your trust but it had to be done.' She mournfully sighed. 'Dean's gone out. He said he's going to get some supplies.' At Sam's confused look she added, 'Yeah, I know. Getting supplies at this ungodly hour is a crap excuse. He didn't like some things I said. I think I got carried away and hurt him.'

Sam saw his little sister trying to hide her pain. It was obvious that she was feeling guilty and sad. He could see her feelings written all over her face. Sam felt another pang of jealousy as he knew those feelings were for Dean and not him.

They resumed their task in silence because neither of them could say another word without breaking down. After finishing their packing, both brother and sister got ready for bed and turned in for the night.

Sam had fallen asleep soon after hitting the pillow. But Lara couldn't get to sleep. She was worried about Dean. He still hadn't come back. As horrible thoughts penetrated her mind, she found herself on the verge of a panic attack. She started concentrating on her breathing as she prayed to whoever was listening up in heaven that her brother come back to her safe.

Dean had left because he couldn't have stayed any longer in the house without losing the little control he had on his dam of emotions which were threatening to overflow the barriers he had worked so hard to build around them. He decided to drive around in the silence to clear his head.

It was scary to think how a 12 yr old girl had the power to shatter his heart into a million pieces. A mocking voice in his head kept repeating that she was the same girl he had claimed to hate just a little while back. And now he couldn't even take it if she didn't think he was right. No, she shouldn't have this power. But deep down he knew she had become his weakness.

He had been happy that finally someone loved him for him and not because he was the protector or because he had some other use. However, she had proved that she was just like the others. He would never be good enough for her either. Just like he was never going to be good enough for anyone else. They would probably be better off without him.

Dean stopped the car on the side of the road, thinking about whether he should leave for good or not. It was a hard decision because it seemed when he thought about it, the only person who would suffer if he left would be himself. There was no doubt about it, he loved his family and he couldn't live without them. It was either going back to them or dying but he couldn't protect them if he was dead. At last, having made his decision, he drove back to Bobby's. If they didn't love him it was okay atleast he could protect them.

When he got back, he found the house silent and eerily dark. It was just after midnight. He had been gone for hours. He hadn't expected anyone to be awake for him but something somewhere in his heart ached at the realisation that they could sleep peacefully without worry when he was out so late. He made his way to the bedroom he shared with his siblings and quietly went to the bathroom to get ready.

He got to his bed silently, trying not to wake anyone. Sam was snoring but Lara was silent. He wasn't sure if she was asleep or not. As soon as he got in the bed beside her, she moved closer to him and put her arms around him.

'Dean, where were you? I was so worried.' She instinctively tightened her arms as if she was scared he'll leave again. 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything I said. I love you. Please don't be mad at me.' She added in whisper when he didn't say anything.

Dean felt a lump in his throat. 'I'm not mad at you. Go to sleep.' He managed to say. He felt her relax and after a few minutes he heard soft snoring.

He was overwhelmed by his feelings. She had waited up for him. How did she manage to break his heart one moment and then shower him with love the next? He didn't understand her at all. He watched her sleeping until his exhaustion lulled him to sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N; Sorry for the wait, my muse was on strike for this fic...she wanted me to concentrate on my DA fic... I know lame excuse... but i promise to try to update soon in future just keep faith in this story and keep telling me about your views *blows a kiss to all regular reviewers***

Ch 16 –

'Castiel!' Lara called her brother's angel. She was hoping to ask for some help. It was about time she did something about the fighting. What had sealed the deal for her was Dean's attitude this morning as he woke her up and told her to wake Sam up so they could get ready and hit the road.

She looked out of the bedroom window to make sure her brothers were still outside. Despite not talking to each other, they were still handling their duties without arguement. Dean was checking the car and Sam was checking the supplies in their trunk. 'Castiel!' She called again a little louder and more desperate. She was sure the angel could hear her. However, it remained to be seen if he would turn up to sort out her problem.

There was a whooshing sound in the air as the wings of the angel started to settle. She turned away from the window and looked around the room, feeling anticipation at the celestial being's arrival. Castiel materialised at the foot of her bed. 'Castiel, hey…erm…' She shyly smiled at him. Suddenly, she felt nervous. It was the first time she was meeting him without Dean being there.

The angel kept his blue calm gaze on her. He tilted his head as though he was trying to figure her out. Maybe, he could read her mind. 'Lara, you called.' He simply stated. She visibly swallowed and nodded. 'What can I do for you?'

Squirming under his intense eyes, she murmured. 'I need help.'

'Lara, child, I sense discomfort and fear from you. Please be at ease. I won't hurt you.' Cas said in his usual calm business-like tone. 'Even if I wanted to I couldn't hurt you. Dean would kill me. And we both know it's better not to make your brother angry.' He added, giving her a small knowing smile.

Lara nodded. Sighing, she told him the reason she had called him. 'Cas, you don't mind me calling you that?' The angel shook his head and shrugged. 'Well, I need your help.'

'What kind of help?' Cas asked curiously.

'Dean and Sam fight all the time. They aren't even talking to each other. I want you to help me make it better between them. Please, Cas. I want them to be okay again. I can't take this anymore. It's like being torn in two halves. If I say something to one brother, the other thinks I don't love him enough. If I talk about one's feelings, the other thinks I am taking sides.' Lara wiped the stray tears that she hadn't noticed were falling from her eyes, down her face. 'I love them both the same, Cas. I'm not taking sides. I just want to take their pain away.' She threw her hands up in a show of defeat and resignation. 'But nothing I do seems to work. In fact, they are now using me to get to the other. Cas, make it stop. I'll do anything if you do this for me.' She pleaded.

The angel cleared his throat. 'Lara, you do realise I am Dean's angel. You are not my charge. I can't just grant everyone's wishes.'

'Like hell you can't, Cas. This isn't about me, damnit. It is about your charge. He's hurting and the only way to make him feel better is if you give him his little brother back. Dean needs Sam. He needs to be Sam's protector, mother, father, brother, everything. Don't you see that?' Lara was past being polite. Living with her brothers, she had learnt an important lesson of life. Being nice and obedient didn't get you anywhere in the world. Her brothers got their way by forcing the other person to agree or suffer the consequences which was usually death. She didn't think she would go that far but she was prepared to blackmail the angel if it came to that.

As though realizing her determination, Castiel sighed and nodded, still keeping his intense gaze trained on her. 'Okay, I'll try to provide you with an excuse or opportunity to bring them together in a common cause if I can. I will have to think of something. Just be prepared and when the opportunity presents itself, take advantage of it.' He was gone before she could respond.

Lara let out the breath she had been holding subconciously and smiled to herself. She finally had someone who was gonna help her. An angel of the lord on her side. What could possibly go wrong now? She felt better. Positive. Things were definitely looking up.

She ran down the stairs carrying one of her smaller bags. Through the open front door of Bobby's home, she could see her brothers pack up the Impala. She went to the kitchen to look for the man of the house himself. Bobby was standing leaning on the kitchen counter looking sad and grumpy. Lara's heart went out to the old man. She knew he was really a big old softie under his tough exterior. 'Bobby, erm…' She was cut off by Sam.

'Lara, I've took your bags out. We're ready to go.' Sam said, looking around nervously. Belatedly, he realized he had interrupted his sister's goodbye to the old hunter.

'I'll be out in a minute.' Lara replied, locking her eyes with her brother's. Catching the nervous look in Sam's eyes, she smiled at him to put him at ease.

Amazed that she had somehow sensed his discomfort, Sam smiled back at his little sister. He mustered all the courage he could and moved from his spot near the door. He hesitated as he walked over to Bobby and then quickly hugged the old hunter. Bobby squeezed him in an affectionate hug and slapped his back gently. To make the hug acceptable to his reputation as a badass hunter. Sam felt the tension leave his body. 'Bobby, take care. We'll call you.' He said and then left.

Lara looked at Bobby and smiled at him, finding him looking at her with a melancholy look marring his features. She moved closer to him and then cleared her throat as it had gone dry all of a sudden. 'Bobby, you are one of the most amazing people I have ever met in my life. It was an honour to meet you.' It was hard to finish what she wanted to say. She had been rehearsing this in her head since last night but now felt a lump forming in her throat. Bobby opened his arms for her. She accepted his embrace. 'Bobby, I…I…' Bobby looked down at her with tears glistening in his eyes.

'Yeah, me too, kid.' Bobby knew what she was trying to say to him. He felt the same way. He loved her like the daughter he never had. He kissed Lara on the head and pulled away. 'Your brothers will be waiting. You guys keep in touch, okay?'

Lara gave him a sad smile and nodded. 'Aren't you gonna say bye to Dean?' She asked, remembering she hadn't seen him come in.

'Said it already.' Bobby replied, taking his hat off and scratching his head.

Lara nodded again and then gave a final hug to Bobby. At the door, she turned with tears now freely falling down her face. 'Thanks for having me.'

Bobby's heart skipped a beat, hearing the emotion in that small statement. Dean had told him about Lara's life before the Winchester brothers had unwillingly let her tag along with them. But this was the first time he realised how bad it must've been for her. The little girl showed her gratitude for even a small gesture of acceptance or affection, proving how little of these gestures she had during her lifetime. 'It was my pleasure to have you here. This is your home. You don't need to thank me for anything.' He looked her in the eye to make sure she knew he meant what he said. She nodded and then was gone. After a few minutes, he heard the familiar rumble of the Impala as the Winchesters left him to his solitude once again.

'How many hours drive is it to Baltimore?' Lara asked after she couldn't take the silence in the car anymore. Although Dean's mullet rock was on in the background in a low volume, it wasn't helping. Sam, who was reading the map turned around in his seat with a sigh.

'If you don't include rest breaks then I guess 22 hours drive depending on the speed of the driving.' Sam motioned at the map and showed Lara the route.

'You're kidding, right?' Lara was horrified at the prospect of spending that many hours in the car with all its tension and silence. She looked over to Dean. He was looking straight ahead with his jaw set. She could see the tension radiating off him in waves. 'Dean, you can't drive for that long. You'll get tired. We can stop somewhere on the way, okay?' She reached forward and gently squeezed his shoulder. Things weren't the same between them since their little verbal match concerning the treatment of Sam the night before. He seemed to be withdrawn, only speaking to her when he really needed to. She wanted him to be making jokes, and dishing out his sarcasm like he usually did. She already missed it.

Dean glanced in the rear-view mirror. Seeing the concerned look on her face, he levelled a serious look her way. 'Lara, we'll stop when I'm tired. We have a lot of hours to kill till then. It's still early.' He went back to staring straight ahead.

Nine hours later, Dean pulled into a small town in Illinois. He found a motel and parked the car in front of the entrance to the reception. He threw a sideways glance to the passenger seat to find Sam hadn't woken up despite the intentional jolt he had given to his baby and probably spoilt her beautiful black paint in the hope of waking his little brother up.

With a huff, he got out of the car and went to get them a room. The receptionist was a woman who looked to be in her late 40s but that didn't stop her eyeing him up appreciatively and flirting with him.

'What can I get ya, handsome?' She flicked her hair, trying to catch his eye.

He wasn't interested. His body was shutting down. He needed to sleep. He felt so tired. The exhaustion of the past week was catching up to him and making his bones ache. 'Just two queens, please.'

The woman looked out at the car and raised her eyebrows. 'Cash or credit?'

'I'll be paying with my credit card.' He took the credit card out of his wallet and passed it to her over the counter.

She read the name on the card and then gave him a look before asking. 'How many nights?'

Dean felt impatient. He fiddled with his car keys. 'Just one night.' Seriously, how long was the bitch going to take?

'Right, sign here.' He signed the receipt. 'Here's your key. Enjoy your stay, Mr. Bourne.' She gave him a polite smile having realised he wasn't interested in her.

Relieved, Dean got back in the car and then parked it in front of their room. He looked in the rear-view mirror and saw Lara was sound asleep just like Sam. Normally, she couldn't sleep in the car. She must've been tired. He nudged her leg to wake her. 'What?' She angrily shook his hand away in her sleep. 'Lara, wake up. We've stopped for the night.' He heard her whine as she said something intelligible. Then, she sat up and stretched, yawning.

Dean turned his back to her and sat back straight in the front, trying to quench his urge to give her a hug or stroke her hair as he usually did when she woke up. 'I'm gonna take the bags in. Wake Sam up.' He hastily got out of the car, knowing she would start asking questions any minute. He wouldn't have minded answering her any other day but today he just wanted to hit the sack and block out the world.


	17. Chapter 17

Ch 17 –

Lara grudgingly got out of the car and stretched her legs properly. For some reason unknown to her, the muscles of her body were tense and her legs were killing. It had never happened before. Shrugging in her sleepy haze, she didn't pay it much attention. Walking past the sleeping form of Sam in the passenger seat, she knocked on his window and motioned for him to get up when he gave her a look through the closed car window.

Dean deposited their bags on the floor beside their beds. Kicking his shoes off and taking his jacket off, he went to the bathroom without asking his younger siblings if they wanted to use it first, like he usually did. He didn't feel up to waiting, they could wait for a change. Why should he be the one always thinking about their needs. They had been asleep, resting most of the way here anyway. He was the one who was tired. It was his right to use the bathroom first so he could hit the sack and get some much needed rest. Then, why did he feel so damn guilty as he grabbed a shower and got ready. He tried to tell himself that it was because he wasn't used to being so selfish.

Taking her night clothes out of a bag, Lara sat down on one of the beds. She looked over at Sam. He was sat on the other bed. He was fidgeting and giving the bathroom door impatient glances. She knew he always had a shower before sleeping, so tried to get in the bathroom before all the hot water was gone. Dean always loved taking long in the shower when the water was hot and he was feeling particularly tense due to being tired. She felt hurt that Dean hadn't bothered asking her if she needed to pee before he had gone into the bathroom. He must've known that she only needed to brush her teeth and pee before bed. He knew she had taken her shower at bobby's in the morning. And, her feeling like crap wasn't helping her.

After what seemed like ages, Dean got out. Sam sighed and bitch-faced. 'Finally.' He was about to go into the bathroom when Lara grabbed hold of his arm.

She chewed on her bottom lip as she looked down at the ground. 'Sam, can I go first? I really need to pee. I'll only take a few minutes to get ready.' Looking up at Sam, she said in a small voice. She glanced at Dean but he wasn't paying them any attention as he got into bed.

For the first time since stopping, Sam looked at his little sister. She looked pale and in pain. 'Are you okay, Lara? You look pale.' He asked her in concern.

When Dean heard Sam ask Lara if she was okay, he instinctively went into protective mode. Sitting up in his bed, he gave his baby sister a once-over. Sam was right. She did look pale. 'Lara, Sam asked you something.' He said, not hearing her answer.

Lara huffed out and shrugged. 'I'm okay. I just need to pee. Can everyone just leave me the hell alone.' She replied, angrily. Suddenly, she felt mad at them. It was all their fault, even if she was ill. If they hadn't been adamant on acting like complete assholes towards each other, she wouldn't've been worried about them. She glared at their deer-caught-in-the-headlight looks. 'I hate everyone. Ahhh.' She stomped and then marched into the bathroom without a backward glance.

Dean and Sam exchanged concerned looks. They could tell that the other was equally shocked by their little sister's angry response. It was the first time she had acted like this.

'What's wrong with her?' Sam asked, thinking something must've happened whilst he was sleeping in the car.

Dean gave his supposedly genius brother an incredulous look. 'How the fuck am I supposed to know?'

'Dean, I was sleeping but you two were obviously awake. You must've said something to her.' Sam bitch-faced as he pointed out his logic.

The smug bastard. So, if she was mad it was nowhis fault. Not so fast, bitch. 'She was sleeping too. I was the only one awake.' Dean clarified. 'Still, I can't seem to get any rest now. Not that anyone gives a shit.' He added under his breath.

'What was that? Didn't quite catch the last bit.' Sam walked over the bathroom door and leaned against the wall beside it.

Wasn't meant for your damn ears, Dean thought. He was about to tell Sam where he could shove it and shut it because he was tired and going to sleep but was stopped when Lara practically ripped the door off its hinges as she opened the door, eyes still blazing.

Lara didn't acknowledge her brothers. She just got into bed beside Dean and shut her eyes, effectively blocking them out. Moments later, she heard the bathroom door click shut and lock turn. Good, Sam could take his time in the damn shower now. Feeling Dean lay back down from his sitting position, she waited for him to switch the light off before she turned to rest her head on his chest like she always did. She was glad he didn't say anything to mock her for needing the comfort he gave her despite being mad at him. He silently curled his arm around her small waist and stroked her hair as usual. Within seconds, they were both soundly asleep.

A few hours later, Lara woke up. She had felt a blinding pain course through her stomach for a few minutes before receding. It returned after a few minutes, stopping just after painful seconds again. Minutes which felt like an eternity. The pain brought tears to her eyes. Something was wrong with her. She was probably dying. Moving from within Dean's embrace, she got up and limped her way into the bathroom, clutching her stomach.

Dean sat up in bed, startled and on high alert, knife in one hand. He looked around the room and saw Sam was in a similar stance. A scream had woken him up. 'Did you hear...ohmygod, Lara.' Dean said, realising the bed was missing someone. Both brothers bolted from their bed.

'She's in the bathroom.' Sam tried to calm his big brother. Dean looked frantic. The only other time his big brother had gone so pale so fast had been when he had thought someone had stolen his car, his baby. Belatedly, Sam realised their little sister was Dean's baby. Over the past few weeks, she had become Dean's. 'Chill, dude. She probably saw a spider.' Sam smirked. He knocked on the door. 'Lara, why did you scream? Are you okay?' There was no answer for a full minute.

Then a muffled sob escaped Lara. 'I'm dying.'

'You're what?' Sam's mouth was hanging open.

'I'm dying, okay?' She said in an exasperated tone. Seriously, Sam was supposed to be the brains in the family. She scoffed at the thought.

Dean seemed to come out of his shocked trance-like state. 'Lara, open up or I'm breaking the door down.' He ordered. His tone made it clear that he wasn't taking no for an answer. 'Lara, I mean it. I won't repeat it. I'm coming in.'

'No! Dean don't you dare. Sam, please tell him. God, I'm entitled to some privacy. I'm in the bathroom, for god's sake.' Lara squeaked in a panic.

'Lara, no one is invading your privacy. We're worried. We just want to know why you think you're dying. We won't come in if you tell us what's wrong.' Sam tried to reason.

'You promise?' Lara was aware she sounded like a little insecure girl. Gosh, how pathetic they must think she was. That thought brought a renewed bout of tears pouring down her face.

'Yes, we promise.' Sam quickly answered, hoping to get her to spill.

'Like hell I'm promising anything. Lara, I mean it. You open the door right now or else I'm breaking it. You know I can pick the lock too.' Dean warned as he banged on the door. He was about to go and grab his lock-pick out of his duffel when he heard her sniffles. Damn, she was crying and not letting him make it better for her. She was probably still mad at him. Sighing deeply, he leaned against the door. 'Baby, tell me what's wrong. I promise I won't come in unless you want me to.'

Lara heard Dean's sad surrender and wiped at her tears. She believed him. If he said he won't come in unless she wanted, then that's what he would do. Her brothers were honest like that. They kept their word. It was just the Winchester way. She decided to tell them what had freaked her so much. 'I'm bleeding. I don't know what's wrong with me. I think I'm dying.'

'Stop saying that. You're not dying. I won't let you die. So, don't talk bullshit.' His baby saying that she was dying, just the thought of it, drove him mad and put him on edge. He didn't want to hear her say anything like that.

'Why are you being so mean to me.' She whined and started sobbing her heart out.

It hit Sam like a ton of bricks. It would explain her mood swings. 'Lara, where are you bleeding from?' He tried not to sound amused.

'None of your damn business.' She hissed out. She wasn't going to tell them. They were her brothers and this was embarrassing, even if it was a life-threatening situation.

Sam smiled and recieved a confused glare from Dean. 'Is it from where you pee?' He asked sympathetically. He remembered Jess totally flipping a shit whenever it was that time of the month. Sam saw Dean frown as though he was trying to understand what he was getting at.

'How do you know? I didn't tell you.' Lara asked, confused. Sam was really a genius after all. She didn't even tell him anything.

Sam gave Dean a smug grin. Finally, he could be of some use to Lara. 'Lara, it's normal. It happens to all the girls, once every month. You're having your first period. Didn't anyone ever tell you about this. Anyway, that's not important. We'll need to get you stuff. Just sit tight, okay. Dean will go get the stuff.'

'What stuff?' Dean asked, wide-eyed. 'No...' He started moving back from the door with his hands in the air in a defensive position and shaking his head vigorously in denial. 'Dude, what the fuck are going on about?'

'Dean, she needs menstrual pads or tampons. And, get her some heat patches too. I suggest you go now.' Sam huffed out moving his bangs out of his eyes.

'I'm not surprised you know all this chick stuff, princess. You are a bitch after all. And, no I'm not going. You go.' Dean raised his eyebrow.

'I lived with Jess. She's the reason I know. Dean, stop being a jerk. You either get the stuff she needs or you give her the talk. I'll warn you, she's emotional right now.' That sent Dean grabbing his jacket and car keys to leave.

'Tampons, pads and heat patches?' Dean made sure he got it right. Sam nodded with a smirk plastered on his face. The bitch.

When Sam was sure that Dean had left, he went back to the door and started telling his sister everything he knew about menstrual cycles somewhat awkwardly and tried to comfort her although she wouldn't let him in.

Dean dazedly shopped for his sister, not believing his baby wasn't a baby anymore but a growing young woman. God, he felt like a dad, realising his daughter wasn't daddy's little girl anymore. Dropping everything that he thought might help in the basket, he walked to the counter and paid up. He was glad Sam was good at handling emotional stuff cause he sure as hell couldn't. Getting back, he found his brother sitting by the bathroom door in a chair. He threw the bag of chick stuff at Sam's head to his little brother's much annoyance.

'Lara, Dean's gotten the stuff you need. Open up and I'll give you the bag.' The door opened a fraction and a demanding hand was held out. Sam placed the bag in her hand. 'Just read the instructions. You'll be okay.'

Half an hour later, Lara got out to find her brothers sleeping or well they looked asleep. She got into her bed, making sure to stay a few inches away from Dean. He had freaked about her condition, she knew. Maybe, he wouldn't've wanted her sharing his bed. She was dirty now. She'd bet her life that he regretted her being a girl. He wouldn't've had to spend so much money on or look after a boy like he had to spend on and look after her. He shifted beside her. She tried to move further away. But there was no more room, damnit. Next minute, she was wrapped up in his arms.

'Are you feeling okay now?' Dean asked his sister in a whisper. He didn't want to wake Sam up. He knew his brother had just fallen asleep. They had both been waiting for her to get out.

Lara couldn't help it. Just to hear the caring tone was enough to start her waterworks again. She nodded. 'I'm sorry.' She managed to croak out.

'Hey...shhh...why are you sorry?' He leaned on his elbows and looked down at her in the dark.

'If I wasn't a girl you wouldn't need to spend so much money on me. I didn't mean to...I bet you wish I was a boy.' She sniffled.

'Lara, why would you think that? I already have a pain in the ass brother so why would I wish for another. I don't wish you were anything but you. I love you. Now, go to sleep and wake me up if you need anything, okay?' He kissed her on her cheek and then lay back down beside her.

Lara was the first to fall asleep. Because Dean wouldn't relax until he knew she was sleeping peacefully.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 –

Low voices filtered into Lara's consciousness. Before she came to full wakefulness, she knew Dean's not next to her anymore. She opened her eyes slowly and moved her head towards the conversation. Dean and Sam were sitting at the small motel table. She was glad that she wasn't waking up to angry voices that weren't as low as they were trying to be, voices that were quickly diminishing into tense, hushed tones that made her stomach clench in a way she didn't like at all. For the first time in days, her brothers seemed to be having a civil chat without fighting. And, her condition seemed to be the cause of this turn in events. Though it was only talk of the hunt, it was improvement from the silent glares or constant fighting. She smiled inwardly at her little victory even when the victory hurt her stomach. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. Maybe, Castiel had meant this when he had said he would try to help her. At the thought of the awesome angel, she was hit by an amazing idea. Focusing her attention back to her brothers, she saw Sam give Dean one of his bitch-faces, as Dean liked to call it.

'Dean, you're having too much fun with this.' Sam huffed out.

'Yeah, well it's not my fault you're a princess, Samantha.' Dean smirked.

Lara decided to get up before the bickering took on the tone of serious insults. Sitting up, she moaned as a pain shot through her. Oh, hell. She still had that awful feeling in her stomach. Sam had said that she wouldn't feel pain all the time. Her brother clearly didn't know what he was talking about or he had just lied to make her feel better. He was always trying to soften the damn blows for everyone. Seriously, she wasn't impressed with his information if it was only going to be proven wrong. And, she wasn't in the mood for it either.

Dean saw his sister sit up with a frown on her face. Her pain-filled moan had him running to her side in no time. She was clutching her stomach. Dread filled him as he sat on their bed. 'Baby, how're you feeling?' He tried to hide the concern from his voice.

'I'm peachy.' She rolled her eyes, sarcasm dripping from her tone. 'How do you think I'm feeling. I feel dirty, tired, and all achy. I hate being a girl.' She wailed.

Dean exchanged a look with a horrified Sam. 'It's not so bad.' Dean tried to comfort his sister from a little further away than he would have usually done so. He didn't think she looked in the mood for hugs.

Lara started crying. Through her tears, she saw her brothers freaked out concerned looks and kicked the air, again and again to show her anger and frustration like a little drama queen throwing a tantrum.

'Lara, relax. It's okay. Breathe. Crying will make the pain worse.' Sam moved forward slowly with his hands raised as though he was approaching a wounded animal. Then, when he was close enough, he quickly sat beside her and pulled her into his arms. She fought for just a moment before calming down.

Dean felt jealousy consume him. He should have been the one making her feel better. Not anyone else. He wanted to rip his baby out of his brother's embrace and tell her everything was going to be okay but he smothered the urge. 'I'll go get breakfast. Lara, is there anything in particular you want?'

'I can't eat anything.' Lara said as she pulled away from Sam. She mourned the loss of his warmth. But, she couldn't stay glued to him any longer. At the mention of food, she felt sad that she probably wouldn't be able to eat because of the pain. She loved food, always had. Though, it was only since she had started living with her brothers that she got to eat all her favourite things. Her mother had never really been great with asking her opinion of food, or opinion of anything else for that matter. 'My stomach hurts.'

'Your stomach still hurts?' Dean furrowed his brow in concern as reached his hand out towards his little sister's forehead. Maybe, she was coming down with something else and it wasn't just her period. Lara batted his hand away as she jerked away from his touch. Dean froze with his hand in mid-air. He let it drop abruptly back down to his side. He was hurt by her reaction but he hid it. He masked his face with a forced grin. His hurt disappearing from his face as soon as it arrived. 'Are you feeling sick?' Lara shook her head in response. She jerked away again when Dean made another attempt to feel her forehead. Dean let out a frustrated breath. 'Lara, I can't make it better if you don't let me check.'

'I'm not sick, Dean.' Lara huffed out. 'I just feel weird in my stomach.'

Dean wasn't good with chick flick moments. Wasn't good with emotions full stop. He couldn't even express himself the majority of the time. Despite all this, he tried for his baby. Because he'd do anything for her. 'I know. I wish…I'm so sorry you have to go through this. You shouldn't have to put up with this. And, you're not the only one as all girls do. I know it's not fair. You have to be strong. We'll get through this. But, you have to eat.'

Sam couldn't quite believe what he was listening to. Dean was making it sound like it was some life-altering event that they had to get through. Part of him wanted to laugh at the absurdity and part of him felt admiration bubble inside of him for how his brother was trying to make his sister feel better.

Renewed sobs escaped Lara. She looked away and wrapped her arms around her abdomen. 'My stomach hurts.'

Dean sat down beside her again. He pulled her into his side so she was resting her head on his chest. She peered up to look at him. His face was a picture of guilt and nerves. She realized her plan was working. She felt love wash over her because her brother loved her so much. It was evident in everything he did. 'How do I make it better? I'll do whatever you want me to do.' Dean told her. She believed him. For a moment, she actually felt bad for doing what she was going to do.

'I can have whatever I want?' Lara asked through tears to make sure. She didn't want to sound too impatient however so she said it slowly as if she was doubtful.

Dean nodded. 'Yeah. Anything you want.'

'I want us to go on a vacation. We need a break. I don't want us to hunt anything until we have sorted out our familial problems.' Lara tried to make herself look hurt and sad. She hoped her puppy-dog look and pout, that she'd been practicing at Bobby's for future use, was working on her brothers. They looked speechless and shocked. Sam was now standing with a frozen expression of what could only be described as a cross between shock and uncertainty marring his face and Dean just looked like he'd seen someone from hell and they'd hit him with a round of ammo. She knew these expressions were due to her mention of their familial problems and not the actual request of vacation.

'What? No. Lara, we can't do that baby. We can't stop hunting. You know, people are in danger out there.' Dean tried to reason with her.

That brought Sam out of his silence. She had said that they needed to sort out their familial problems. What did she mean by that? 'Lara, what familial problems?'

'Your relationship with Dean.' She said simply.

'No. We're not going anywhere other than Baltimore to our next hunt.' Dean hoped his sister didn't push the issue. He was just barely talking to Sam. Mostly about the hunt. He didn't want to be cooped up anywhere with him with nothing to do other than things which were for personal purpose.

'I knew I can never have what I want.' She sighed dramatically. She lifted her face to show them her cheeks slick with tears that were still streaming down them. She looked at Dean with hurt shining in her eyes. She saw the change in her eldest brother which only a trained eye would catch. She knew she'd won when he tensed up and gritted his teeth. Rolling his eyes, he closed them for a long time before he trained his gaze back on her again. She breathed raggedly and sniffled, going for the kill. Then, her brother was falling apart before her eyes and she felt like nothing short of an evil monster.

'Lara, sweetheart, baby…' Dean could only manage these words. He'd hurt his baby. It was his fault that she was crying like this. She knew about them fighting and now she wanted him to make it better. And, he couldn't.

All of a sudden, Sam got the sense that she wasn't asking for his opinion or his input. He felt like he was intruding on a private moment he was never gonna be a part of. No matter what, Lara was always going to be Dean's. This hurt him because he loved his sister just as much as his brother loved her. Feeling awkward and out of place, he remained silent.

'My stomach hurts.' Lara repeated as though it was a chant.

'Okay. Please, don't cry. We'll…Sam!' Dean grumbled, clearly unhappy. He stood up. 'Whilst I go get breakfast, you two look for some decent place we can go to.' Grabbing his car keys, he was about to leave when he looked back at his sister.

'Dean, can I have a blueberry muffin and hot chocolate?' Lara gave her brother a watery smile when he nodded.

After Sam was sure Dean was gone, he gave his smiling sister an amazed look. 'How did you do that? Dean has never listened to me when I begged him for a vacation.' He admitted feebly.

'I guess there are advantages to be had if you have a medical condition which freaks your protective brother out.' She quipped, feeling really proud of herself. Right. Now that she had gotten Dean's consent, it was time to move on to the next phase of the plan that had come to her like a lightning bolt as though it had been sent from heaven. Maybe, it had been. She said a silent thanks to Dean's angel.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N; I am getting back into the story hence the shorter chapter...hopefully, nxt chp will be better quality and longer...pls review as it'll inspire me...Alot is about to happen...**

Chapter 19 -

Ruby cursed inwardly as she felt the presence of angels in the area. Had she not been an accomplished witch before she went to hell then she wouldn't have known this new bit of information. She wasn't surprised the angels were keeping a close watch on the brothers. Nothing else could be expected given how important the Winchester brothers were to both sides, the angels and the demons.

She grimaced remembering how the younger Winchester brother had told her to leave him alone the last time she'd called him to arrange to meet up. She still couldn't believe Sam had betrayed her. After all they'd been through, all that they'd done, together. After all that she'd taught him. Sam's disloyalty shocked her. He had turned his back on her when she had practically saved him. And, for who? His newly found sorry excuse of a half-sister, Lara. In such a short time, that little bitch seemed to have got the Winchester brothers wrapped around her little finger. The girl could get them to do anything. And now it seemed she had gone one better and somehow managed to talk them into taking her on a vacation despite the threat of an apocalypse looming on their indecisive heads.

When Sam had first mentioned his newly-discovered half-sister, Ruby seriously hadn't thought that an unwanted little girl would mess up her plans. In fact, she'd been happy to hear that they had another sibling. It would work as a perfect distraction for Dean, she'd thought. The older brother would finally focus his attention on someone else rather than Sam, giving her more time with him. However, it hadn't worked out like that at all. She hadn't really thought of a possibility of Sam taking a liking to the role of being a big brother. Now, it seemed to her that he wasn't only liking being a big brother but he was relishing his sister's apparent neediness. That was all well and cute but it didn't help her cause any. So, she had decided to take matters into her own hands and entice Sam to do her bidding. This is why she was in this place, Yellowstone National Park. If for nothing else then this, she was a little grateful to the little Winchester girl. The girl had unknowingly chosen the right location for her to plan and implement something wicked.

Lara trudged behind Sam and Dean as they made their way towards the 'old faithful' geyser to watch it erupt. Just this morning, she had been so excited thinking of the hike that they had planned with the help of the information about the area but now, she wasn't feeling so good. It wasn't that she wasn't enjoying the place or the company, she really was. The reason for her ill feelings was, she felt genuinely sick. And, it had happened all of sudden, without warning. She wasn't suffering from her periods anymore so her hormones couldn't be blamed for this mysterious illness. 'Dean, Sam, can we rest? I feel tired.' She shouted. She decided to hide her stomach pain from her brothers. She didn't want to worry them.

'You're just unfit and out of shape. When I was your age, I could run a marathon with a kit on.' Sam jogged back a few steps to where Lara was standing. 'Come on, Lara. You're the one who wanted to go see this geyser this morning and now you don't seem so keen.' He bitch-faced, looking unimpressed and annoyed.

Lara felt bad for spoiling Sam's mood. She was well aware that this wasn't only her first holiday but also her brothers' first holiday too. And, where Dean had been reluctant and unhappy about vacationing, Sam hadn't. He had been as enthusiastic and excited as she was when she had first come up with the idea and he had helped her convince their older brother that it was the right thing to do. 'Sammy, I'm sorry for being a spoil-sport. Come on, lets go.' She swallowed hard and willed herself to get better or feel better at the least. Where was Angel Castiel when you needed him? Sighing heavily, she marched past Sam and caught up to Dean.

Dean had heard the exchange of words between his brother and sister. So, when Lara came up beside him and linked her arm with his to walk, he couldn't help but feel dread creep in his soul. He was well aware of the fact that his baby sister never initiated this kind of contact, especially with him. Which meant that she must be telling the truth when she said she was tired. He gave her another long look, closely watching her facial expressions and body movements. It wasn't long before he realised that Lara was ill. His hunter instincts were telling him this, and they were never wrong. Well, they had never been wrong before. Without making obvious his awareness of her condition, he gently pulled Lara closer into his side as he placed his arm around her waist.

Immediately Lara felt better. Just to have her brother holding her so gently and stabilizing her with his strong body lessened her pain slightly. Looking up at Dean's face, she found him watching her. When their eyes met, she gave him an appreciative smile. Had he picked up on her ill feeling? He did look worried. She wanted to reassure him that she was fine but in the last moment decided against it. She knew he was likely to think she wasn't well if she mentioned it at all. It was best to pretend that she didn't know of his concern. 'Dean, you know I was thinking are you and Sam going to the bar that lodge owner was talking about?' Rather than thinking about herself, she needed to focus her attention back on the plan she had been cooking up to get her brothers back on talking terms.

'Nah, you're too young for bars.' Dean argued, giving her an incredulous look for asking such a question from him in the first place.

Lara couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of her. 'I'm not going obviously. I mean, just you and Sammy.' She shook her head in amusement.

Dean tightened his hold on her and let out an exasperated breath. 'Lara, baby, you know I would never leave you alone.' He couldn't believe she was suggesting it.

'I'm not a baby. And, we are safe here. In case you forget, we are on a holiday. I insist you go to the bar and win us some money whilst you're at it.' She pouted for maximum effect.

'Okay, I'll think about it.' Dean rubbed a hand across his tired features. His baby sis was a Winchester alright. She was as stubborn as the best of them.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 -

It was around seven in the evening and the Winchesters were sat in a diner eating their dinner when Lara decided to bring up the subject of the bar again. Earlier, she had mentioned it to her brothers separately and gotten a completely different response from each of them. Sam had liked the idea whereas Dean didn't even want to listen. So, she was anticipating their reactions. She didn't let any doubt dampen her hope and ambition because it was important to her that her brothers go out together. She felt it would help them sort out their problems if they shared drinks and hustled money playing pool.

She was aware of the fact that her brothers had hardly spoken all day and when they did happen to open their mouths, it was to say something to her. That was the reason why she had spent most of the day chattering away like some chatter-box in the first place. Silence made her nervous and put her on edge, she'd had no choice but to talk and waste her own energy. And, now wasn't any different. For the past hour, she had been doing most of the talking with her brothers as they nodded or shrugged every once in a while. That was until she ordered Dean and Sam to hit the famous bar in town. Her demand was met by an explosion of emotions from her brothers. Dean refused to even talk about the issue and Sam looked plain sad and sulky. This made her happy to some extent. At least, she got a reaction from them.

'Lara, I told you that we're not going to leave you all alone in the room. So, drop it. I don't want to argue about this anymore.' Dean barked at his baby sister, in anger. Why was she being so damn stubborn? He wished that she would give up on the idea of him spending some time with Sam. Because, he sure as hell didn't want to be anywhere alone with his brother any time soon. And, he was sure Sam felt the same way. 'And, anyway you're ill.' He added, hoping this would quench her resolve but it seemed to fuel it.

'Exactly.' Lara agreed, smirking at her brothers' instant expressions of confusion. 'I am ill. Though my illness is entirely your fault as it is emotional pain, not some kind of physical pain. And, I can tell you, this is worse. I wish I had some other illness than this.' She sighed dramatically and gave her brothers a sad, defeated look before training her eyes back down on her plate of food. Taking a bite of her fish burger, she chewed slowly before placing her hand on her heart. 'Dean, I thought you loved me. You don't seem to want to lessen my emotional pain. I only asked for this one thing. And, you can't even do it for me.' She uttered in almost a whisper. It was so hard for her to keep herself from smiling when she saw her eldest brother melt and become mush at her words, but she managed to keep her face as sad-looking as possible. She didn't feel bad for making him feel like this. This was all for a good cause. Everything is well that ends well, she'd read this somewhere once and she was a believer of the saying.

Dean felt exasperated. How could she question his love for her like this? She knew how he felt. She didn't expect him to have continuous chick flick moments with her, did she? Seriously. He gave her an intense look, hoping to detect some kind of deception from her. But, Lara really did look sincere. 'Lara, baby, you know I...I...I would do anything to make you feel better.' He choked out. It was true. He would happily die for her if she asked.

Lara felt a lump form in her throat. She felt so loved when Dean said things like that. She must've been the luckiest girl in the planet for having brothers like hers. 'I'll feel better if you go and score us some money.' She gave Dean a teary smile. Her smile turned into a squeal of delight when he nodded his acceptance. She reached forward over the table and gave a bear hug to her blushing big brother.

An hour and a half later, Dean and Sam entered the famous bar their motel owner was talking about. Ordering their drinks, Dean took a seat on a bar stool and cast an assessing eye around the entire place. The place was pretty filled up. The pool table looked busy too. He grinned as the thought of the amount of money he could win crossed his mind. At least, his baby sister would be happy. 'Sam, I am going over to the pool table.' He went over to the table without waiting for a reply. He had expected Sam to join him around the pool table eventually. However, he hadn't expected his little brother so soon.

After exchanging a few initial intense looks, they focussed their attention on the game that was being played, to understand their opponents so they could take them on in the next game.

A few miles away from the bar, Lara was propped up by cushions on the headboard of her bed. She was watching an old horror movie that was the only thing that was working on the old television set. Her covers were drawn up to her chin and she was shaking in terror. She hadn't thought it would be so scary. It didn't help that she was alone and her brothers were gone out. When a knock sounded on the room door, she nearly jumped out of her skin and screamed. Thinking and hoping her brothers were back, she bolted and opened the door. Seeing the person who was standing outside the entrance, she felt her blood run cold. She had no clue who it was but she felt sick all over all of a sudden.

'Hey. Room service.' The person said, smirking and entered the room after breaking the devil's trap at the entrance.

Lara started thinking of possible escape routes and all the things her brothers had taught her. The female in front of her was clearly a demon that's why she broke the devil's trap but why had this demon come here? Then it dawned on her. It could only be the demon skank. 'Ruby.' The demon's grin confirmed it. Lara felt a sudden rush of anger consume her. 'How dare you?' She shouted at the confused demon in anger. The demon bitch had nearly destroyed her brother's life, had destroyed his relationship with his brother. She was going to kill the wench. She charged forward with the intention to hit the demon but collapsed mid-strike as the demon witch held her hand up. A excruciating pain coursed through her entire body leaving her breathless. The last thing that she saw before darkness enveloped her was Ruby's black eyes and her devilish smile. And, her last thought had been, _Dean, Sam I wish you're safe._


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N; Guys, thanks for the reviews and the wait...I will try to finish this fic this month so you will probably get updates more often...enjoy and let me know wot u thought xxx  
**

Chapter 21 -

'Dean, can you go easy on the threats and fighting when the guys don't wanna pay up. It's not good to get in fights now that we have Lara with us.' Sam scolded his brother, looking at his bloodied lip and bruised eye with disapproval. He didn't understand why his brother couldn't leave such a situation without needing to prove his manliness. They already had demons on their asses, they didn't need the cops too.

'Knowing her, she'll want to hunt the guys down on my behalf and square a few punches with them before giving them a piece of her mind.' Dean chuckled, holding the door-knob of their motel room as he tried to get the key in the hole to open the door. He gasped and snatched his hand back when the door opened on its own accord. The lock was open. 'Sam, the door...' He whispered but couldn't finish what he was going to say because of the dread that was making his blood run cold. Quickly, he grabbed his gun and pointed it towards the door. From the corner of his eye, he saw Sam do the same. Taking a deep breath to calm his panic, he nudged the door open with his hand.

The room was dark as if the lights had been turned dim. The only sound in the room was of the television which was playing a late-night repeat of a nineties show. It looked and felt like a scene of a horror film.

Dean cast his eyes to his unmade bed and then to the bathroom. Finding no light on in the bathroom, he rounded his bed slowly as though a part of him already knew what he might find there and so he subconsciously prepared himself. But, the sight of his baby sister lying unconcious on the floor in a straight position was something he could never prepare for. A mere moment passed before he came out of his state of shock and fell on the floor beside her. He didn't notice Sam check the room for tell-tale signs of supernatural activity. He just sat beside Lara, staring at her un-moving and cold body. When Sam came over to him and placed his hand on his shoulder in quiet comfort, he jerked his hand away. No one could comfort him, not now.

Sam looked at Lara, who thankfully had a strong pulse as he had checked that before checking everything else, then he softly called his brother. 'Dean, it was a demon...there's sulphur. What shall we do? Shall I call Bobby?' Dean didn't answer. He seemed incapable of doing anything at the moment. Sam couldn't take this. He couldn't lose both his siblings at the same time. In desperation, he shook his brother who seemed to snap out of his trance suddenly. 'Dean...'

Completely ignoring Sam, Dean placed a hand in Lara's hand and then looked up, hope shining in his teary intense green eyes. 'Cas, get down here right now.'

Castiel materialised even before Dean had finished calling him. It looked as though he had witnessed everything, judging by his wide-eyed worried look. 'Dean...' He called the hunter, keeping his gaze trained on his charge's sister to determine her condition.

Dean let out a breath and gathered Lara in his arms. Depositing her on his bed, he turned to look at the angel seriously. 'Cas, fix her.' He demanded in a rough tone, forgetting all about anything else. Lara was his priority right now, news could wait.

'I can't.' Castiel admitted, going red in embarrassment and preparing himself for Dean's anger.

'Wha...' Dean raised an eyebrow and came closer to Castiel, challenging him in a threatening manner. 'What did you just say?'

Castiel flinched at his charge's behaviour. 'Dean, Lara was attacked by a skilled demon I am afraid. And, I can't do anything to make her better because a spell has been used on her which renders my powers useless. Specially, now that I have been away from heaven for so long.' He said, not liking that he couldn't help. He hated seeing his charge in so much pain.

Starting to pace the room, Dean muttered. 'Well, screw you and heaven.' He felt killing something. 'At least, tell us what's wrong with her. Do you know?' He gritted his teeth in frustration. His baby could be hurting and he wouldn't know. Getting a shake of head as Castiel's response to his inquiry, he went and sat back down by his sister's side.

Sam felt ignored. The angel and Dean were acting as if he wasn't even here. His earlier tries at giving his opinion had fallen on deaf ears so he had shut up, thinking everything would be okay when Castiel showed up but the angel had no answers either. And, now he simply couldn't keep quiet anymore because they needed to act quickly to make sure Lara was alright. She didn't look as though she was okay. 'Dean, we need to take Lara to a hospital.' Feeling frustrated at Dean for not telling him what to do, he got closer to his sister and then lifted her up in his arms. 'Let's go.'

Coming out of his torturous thoughts, Dean nodded dumbly at Sam. He looked around for his car keys for a moment before remembering that he still had his jacket on and his keys were in his pocket. 'Cas, I need you to go and find out who did this. Get me the name and the location of the hell-spawn son of a bitch.' He told the angel as he walked out ahead of Sam who was carrying their sister.

Sam sat himself down in the passenger seat after placing Lara's limp body in the backseat. He was glad Dean was driving and not himself because he just wasn't that confident driving under pressure at break-neck speeds. Glancing back to check on Lara, for the umpteenth time, he reached out and touched her cheek to find it warm. It was a good sign. Focusing back his attention on the road, he let his mind wander to the possibilities of who could it have been who attacked Lara. The only name that kept repeating itself in his mind was Lilith.

Dean drove them all to the hospital he had seen on the way coming into the place. It was the nearest he could find. It would have to suffice. Parking the car near the emergency doors, he got out and opened the back door of his beloved car. It was strange to find Lara laying down quietly on the seat because it had never happened before. With all the gentleness he could muster, he lifted her up and out of the car. Kicking the door shut, he didn't wait for Sam as he rushed into the hospital asking for a doctor.

Lara was taken away in a room for tests. The brothers hadn't been allowed to go in with her, although Dean had tried his best to break this rule. At one point, he had threatened the doctors and nurses with bodily harm but Sam had managed to hold him back. Not that Dean didn't put up a good fight. In the end, the only thing that held him back was Sam telling him that he would only get in the way and the doctors will be too scared to do their jobs properly.

An hour passed and Dean was getting anxious. There had been no news. He could see that Sam was worried as well. He was about to go to ask the nurse again when a senior doctor came into the waiting room and called the brothers into his office. 'Is Lara gonna be alright? What's wrong with her? She's okay, right?' He asked all his questions in a single breath.

'I'm really sorry. We don't know how it's possible but your sister seems to have fallen in a deep coma, from which she may never wake up. We are going to monitor her condition for now but we can't do anything else. I wish there was something but there isn't. I really am sorry.' The doctor made a sad face of apology. It was always so hard to give bad news to the family of patients. Some people took the news well, some didn't. Seeing the dumbstruck looks on the faces of both of the men, he could tell that this family was the type who couldn't take bad news about one of their own. He sighed as he thought about his future interactions with the brothers.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N; pls refresh your memories by clicking to chapter 21's end if you don't remember it otherwise this won't make sense...And, also you should all thank one of the most impatient fans (possibly a stalkerish fan too LOL) I have ever had the fortune of gaining ****'****jennylynncm13****' ****for forcing me to write this not-so-perfect update...I sincerely hope it was worth the wait...nxt update won't be this late...this wasn't my fault anyway, just blame writer's block and my trigger-happy and always-running-away muse (that didn't make sense but woteva)...**

Chapter 22 -

An empty hallway, what, where am I? were Lara's first thoughts when she found herself standing in a corridor of sorts with no memory how she got there. She twirled around, trying to make sense of her situation. Finding no clue, her eyes moistened with unshed tears. Lips trembling and stance changing to mirror her vulnerability, she walked slowly towards a door that she could barely make out in the bright lights overhead. As she silently made her way towards her destination, things started to change around her. She didn't know how it was possible but all of a sudden it seemed that she wasn't as alone as she had first thought herself to be. There were people walking around her in the corridor. On closer inspection, she realized the people were doctors and nurses. This meant she was in a hospital. Then it hit her like a ton of bricks, the memory of being cursed by that demon bitch Ruby.

She had to find Dean and Sam, before Ruby got to them as well. Where were they anyway? She would've thought at least one of them would stay by her side at all times in such a situation. Maybe, they just did that kind of thing for each other only. She wasn't that important. Nobody would want to stay by her bedside all day long. Anyway, it was stupid to be thinking about these things right now. It wasn't right to dwell on something that wasn't important. And, what did it matter anyway, her entire life had been spent like this. Living with her brothers wasn't going to change who she was even if she wanted to change. She was a loner and she would always remain a loner. The unshed tears were now flowing freely on her face as her insecurities made themselves known.

Sniffing and wiping the accumulated tears from the corners of her eyes, she sighed as she continued over to a reception desk which she hadn't initially noticed. 'Excuse me, could you please tell me if you've seen my brothers? One is really tall and the other is really good looking. Well, that's what all the girls say anyway.' She chuckled, remembering her brothers' tendency to attract crowds of females wherever they went. She was confused when the receptionist completely ignored her. The old woman didn't even spare her a glance. 'Excuse me...' She said, a little louder and waved her arms in front of her. The woman could be deaf but she wasn't blind as she was reading some magazine. Giving up on the rude woman and grumbling about the awful service in the hospital, she decided to rely on her instincts to guide her through the hospital.

After a long time of walking around and peeking in rooms, she caught a glimpse of Sam walking into a room further down the hall she was currently walking in. Squealing in happiness of seeing her brother, she ran to the room. She quickly entered the room behind Sam, so the door shut behind her with a click. Clasping her hands in joy, she announced her presence but Dean and Sam were too busy arguing to notice her. Their arguments were a normal occurrence. They argued all the time. So, that didn't bother her or give her a cause for concern. Instead, it was something else that made her recoil at the thought of being in the room. For some reason unknown to her she couldn't help but feel that something was very wrong. All her instincts felt on edge and she had this overwhelming urge to shrink back and hide away somewhere. She felt exposed. Her feelings raw and primitive. She felt as though her soul was witnessing something that was deeply affecting it but her mind wasn't yet connected enough with the soul to know that something. She was about to call out to her brothers when her eyes were drawn towards the white bed in the white room. Her breath caught and she choked on air at the sight that greeted her. On the bed lay no one else but herself, looking lifeless and being monitored by the many wires stuck in her body.

'No, no, no.' She repeated like a chant, shaking from head to toe in disbelief and distress. Slumping against the nearest chair to the door that was also nearest to her, she started to sob her heart out. This couldn't be happening. It didn't make any sense. If she was here conscious, then how was she there also? What was happening? Why weren't Dean and Sam doing anything? Why couldn't they see or hear her? Where was Castiel? These were all the questions that flooded her mind as she looked on helplessly at her comatose body. However, she didn't look on for long because she simply couldn't. She felt sick to her stomach at the sight so instead she focused her attention to her brothers' argument as the conversation took a turn for the worst.

'We shouldn't have left her on her own. I wish I hadn't listened to you.' Dean said, gritting his teeth and getting up from the chair he had been sitting on, clearly angry and annoyed.

Sam looked mortified. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair before furrowing his brow. 'Are you saying this is my fault?' His mood turned from sadness to angst in a blink of an eye.

Dean sat back down in the chair he had vacated by her bed a moment ago. It seemed he didn't know what else to do. Grabbing hold of her hand, he held it close to him as he moved to sit closer to her. 'No, not really. It's my fault because I gave in and listened to you two. I'm just saying that when she was trying to force us to go out, you should have backed me up and refused. But, instead you were arguing against me. If you hadn't agreed with her then she would've given up on the idea eventually.' He argued his point with conviction.

'She said she could stay back. Before she came to stay with us, she was always staying alone. So, I didn't think it was a problem.' Sam went to lean on the wall, with a pained look marring his features. 'I didn't know she was in any danger.' He added.

Dean turned his head towards Sam, sharply. 'Are you sure about that? You have ties with demons. Isn't one your girlfriend?' His intense green eyes were blazing as they met Sam's brown eyes.

Sam appeared confused by Dean's enquiry but when realized the implication, he exhaled deeply and started to shout. 'What the hell, Dean? You think I had something to do with this, that I knew about it? How could you even think such a thing? Lara is my sister as much as she is yours.'

'I don't know what to think anymore, Sammy.' Dean turned back to look at her and lovingly stroked her hair which were fanned around her face. 'Cas said that whoever it was, had to have known where we were. Ruby fits the bill.'

'Ruby would never do this. She knows we would kill her if she did. Anyway, she doesn't even know we're here. I haven't seen or spoken to her for ages. Lara made me promise not to and I don't intend to ever break that promise.' Sam yelled, still unable to accept what Dean was saying to him. 'I didn't think you hated me this much to think this of me.' He murmured, barely loud enough to hear. It was evident in his small voice that he felt hurt by Dean's accusations.

'I don't hate you, Sammy. I just don't trust you anymore. And, I don't know if I ever will after everything.' Dean gave a nonchalant shrug. At this, Sam gave Lara's body a glance before leaving the room with a defeated sigh and a blank expression on his face, trying to hide the effects of Dean's harsh words.

Lara watched Sam leave with a heavy heart. Knowing how much Dean's opinion meant to Sam, she didn't appreciate Dean saying hurtful things to him. He was so sensitive to everything and took things to heart easily. He would be devastated to hear Dean rebuking his judgement. She wished she could've stop their argument somehow because she had a bad feeling about the consequences of the conversation. But, what could she possibly do? As far as they knew, she was in the bed suffering from a coma or something. She couldn't expect them to realize that she might be walking the halls as her condition was a curse from the supernatural realm. She stood up and stomped her feet in frustration. Not getting any attention for her efforts, she huffed out petulantly and gave up. She went to sit down on the floor with her back resting on the wall near the window. From this place, she could see her eldest brother properly. At least, like this she could try to read him and determine what he was thinking. He was probably blaming himself for her condition. Bad things were happening, all because of her inability to protect herself properly against a demon bitch. Really, she was the one her brothers should've been blaming. Fresh tears started to fall from her already puffy eyes when she saw a tear escape her brother's eye. Everything bad always happened to people around her. First her Dad, then her Mom and now her brothers. She was a curse.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N; First I get you guys begging/threatening me to write another chapter and when I finally update I only get a couple reviews for my efforts...*starts sobbing and gets the violins out*... I feel kinda "Unwanted" right now...anyway, pls make sure you have, at the least, read last chapter or this may not make sense...I am writing this for those reviewers and readers who still care, you know who you are...and I am sorry for the late update...  
**

Chapter 23 -

Sam couldn't believe it. How could Dean hate him so much. He knew he had made a lot of mistakes in his life. Big mistakes. But, did those mistakes mean he was now an evil person. A monster, the very thing they hunted. Knowing Lara didn't agree with Dean's opinion of him was only a small comfort to him. It was the only thing that was keeping him sane at the moment. His little sister didn't think that he was a monster, she had shown as much in her handling of the news of his demon blood addiction. She had given him some hope that maybe he could be saved. She had made him believe that maybe he deserved to be saved. She had told him that she loved him despite all his mistakes and faults. Thinking about all these things, Sam sighed deeply. If only she was here to make him feel better.

Sam wished that he never had a fight with Dean because Lara hated it when they fought. If she could watch them or hear them, she would be so sad and hurt. He knew how much it meant to her to see her brothers on good terms. A few stray tears fell from his eyes, though he tried to hold them back.

Lost in his thoughts and his misery, Sam didn't notice that he had made his way to the nearest watering hole. Looking pitiful, he walked up to the barman and ordered a beer. He wanted something stronger to drink but refrained from ordering it because he wanted to keep a clear head. He couldn't afford to be rash when it was really revenge he craved. Revenge was the one thing that was the bane of his existence as well as the reason. But, he needed to stay away from revenge as it was the cause of his latest heartache.

Sam thanked the bartender as the drink was placed in front of him. Taking a large gulp of his beer, he found his mind drifting back to his last conversation with his brother. This being the reason why he failed to notice that there was something different in the air. He would usually swear to having a sixth sense, a way of knowing things were out of place. He assumed the feeling was linked with his psychic abilities or maybe it was his hunter's instincts. But, this night was different all together. He didn't feel a thing. He was not aware of the demon creeping up behind him and taking a seat beside him. It was fair to say, he nearly jumped a mile in shock and surprise when the demon spoke up.

'Hey Sam, it was so hard to find you. Why didn't you answer my calls?' Ruby chided him. She tried her best to sound as though finding him was the only task she had been concentrated on. Not getting any answer from Sam, other than his suspicious eyes studying her. She decided to forget about easing into the subject of his sister. Instead, she placed her hand on his arm and gave him a sympathetic look. 'Sam, I'm so sorry about your sister. I heard about what happened to her.' She made a show of looking regretful. 'I wish I had heard about the attack before, then I could've warned you. Although I had heard that Lilith was on the move, I didn't know where she was headed and why.' As she gave him a pained look, she saw him crumble. He believed her. That was easy. She chuckled inwardly.

Sam finished his drink and then knocked the glass on the counter to signal for a refill. Having chugged his second glass of beer, he turned to face Ruby. 'How did you find me? And, what are you doing here?' He asked her in a serious tone. She better have a good explanation for this, he thought. He really didn't want Dean to be proven right about her.

Ruby rolled her eyes in annoyance when Sam wasn't looking at her. 'You know, I've been trying to reach you for ages. All those missed calls. So, anyway I heard about Lilith and figured you might wanna know what she's up to. I gathered some intel from low ranking demons but one of them said something about an attack. When I heard this, I got worried for you. I kept near demons for a few days. That's where I heard about Lilith going after your sister because she was an easy target. That bitch, seriously. She thinks she can rule the world.' She finished her well-rehearsed speech, giving him a sidelong glance to gauge his reaction. She was pleased with what she saw.

Satisfied with the answer he got, Sam visibly relaxed. But, something inside him still wouldn't let him rest. The thing inside him took over and he was overwhelmed by the feeling. He let it consume him.

Suddenly, his glass of beer came down hard on the counter. 'I swear I am gonna hunt that bitch down and kill her so that she will never have the chance to come back again. I am gonna destroy her.' he raged. His face was contorted and eyes bulging in furious anger. How dare that evil bitch hurt his little sister? She was gonna pay for what she did to his family.

Shooting up from his stool, he threw money on the bar counter and quickly left, Ruby following him closely behind.

Dean was sat in Lara's hospital room, holding her hand tenderly as he watched her. His baby sister looked like a princess put under a sleeping spell by an evil witch. He moved forward to caress her cheek. He hadn't really had a chance to be alone with her since she had been in a coma. Now that he was finally alone with her, he just couldn't hold his tears back any longer. 'My baby, you're in pain because of me. I'm so sorry I failed you. I should've protected you better. This is my fault. I'm so useless. I get one job to do in this world and I can't even do that properly. Big brothers are meant to look after their little siblings. Look at me, the worst big brother in this damn world. My little brother is an addict and my baby sis is in a coma.' He admitted, brokenly.

That's when Castiel chose to speak up. 'Dean.'

It was a testament to Dean's fragile state of mind that he had missed noticing the presence of his angel's overwhelming grace. Quickly, he wiped his eyes on his sleeve and then turned to look at the angel. 'Cas...'

Castiel found Dean's eyes and held the contact for a long moment before finally speaking. 'Dean, I am here with bad news. I am afraid I have not been able to find out any information regarding the demon who did this to your sister. All I know is what I already told you. It was a spell which originates from powerful witches.' He felt bad that he was of no use to his charge and couldn't help his friend.

Dean exhaled sharply as a past memory flashed before his eyes. 'Cas, I think I know who did this.' This statement confused the angel. He tilted his head in a questioning manner. 'Cas, I'm sure it's that bitch Ruby. I just remembered that she was a witch when she was human, well that's what she told us anyway.'

'When will you speak to Sam about your suspicions?' An odd feeling of knowing coursed through Castiel for a mere second, but it was gone before he could make sense of what the heavenly host was trying to tell him. It didn't help that he had been away from heaven for so long. His grace didn't shine as bright as it did when he had been part of the heavenly host. For a moment, he felt loneliness and sadness for his own diminishing grace overcome him. But, these selfish feelings didn't last long as his concerns for his charge took-over. When Dean shook his head and looked away, the angel went to stand on the other side of Lara's bed. 'What's wrong?' He asked, worried.

'Cas, He never listens to me anymore. You know how it is. In his eyes, Ruby can do no wrong. I can't exactly say to him that I know that she is the one who raised Lilith and probably put Lara under a spell. I already mentioned the bitch's name and he stormed out of here because he couldn't take it. I need him to believe me first, to trust me.' The older Winchester leaned forward and rest his head on the bed beside his sister's hand which was still held in his own. 'Anyway, we just had a fight so I don't think I will see him anytime soon.'

The feeling was back. Stronger than before. Now, Castiel was certain something was calling out to his grace. On their own accord, his eyes shifted towards the window in the room. Seeing Lara sitting on the window-sill with tears staining her cheeks, he was about to go to her and ask her about what she remembered. However, he didn't get a chance. It seemed, the little girl had been waiting for him to feel her presence.

'Castiel, we cannot talk in this room. I don't want Dean to know I am stuck in this realm. Please, meet me in an empty room at the end of this hallway.' The ghost-like pale Lara demanded, seriously.

Castiel gave a slight nod and head-tilt to confirm that he had heard her request and would follow her instructions. Then he turned his attention back to Dean and cleared his throat awkwardly. So, this was how it felt to feel uncertainty, he mused before addressing his charge. 'Dean, I must leave. I will be back shortly.'

'Cas, don't leave me. Cas, please.' Dean protested in a panic. Everyone left him. He didn't want his friend, his angel to leave him too.

Castiel gave Dean an apologetic look. 'Dean, I would stay if it would help. But, you know I need to gather more information about this attack on your sister. I will be back, I promise.'

'Cas...' Dean started, but the angel had already left, a resounding sound of his wings beating the air in his wake.

The angel of the Lord, Castiel materialized in the empty room Lara had requested him to visit. 'Lara?' He concentrated on his surroundings, which in turn allowed him to see her. She was sat on the empty hospital bed, looking outside.

'It was Ruby.' She got straight to the point. She didn't have the time to waste on pleasantries. Her brothers could be in danger, especially her brother Sam. 'She's planning something. Something that involves Sam. You need to go find him now.' Lara urged.

Castiel was feeling amazed at the human ability to be brave in the face of danger and pain. Despite being in the middle realm where she wasn't dead or alive, Lara was still worried about her brothers rather than herself. 'I don't know where Sam is. I can't find him as I have no connection to him.' He trained his intense gaze on the window in the room.

Lara shut her eyes to compose herself. 'Ask Chuck. He might've had a new vision or something. Please, Castiel. Do this for Dean.' Receiving a nod from the angel, she smiled. 'We'll sort this mess out. Just don't tell Dean or Sam about me being stuck here like this. They would be sad to hear I was like this.' She sighed. 'Please, go now and tell me if you find something.'


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24 -

Castiel did find something indeed. Chuck had had a prophetic vision about the witch demon and her plans for Sam. As soon as Chuck had given the details to the attentive angel, he had taken flight. In the blink of a moment, he was back in the hospital room he had left his distraught charge in with his cursed sister. Dean was asleep. It seemed all the stress and emotions had drained the hunter of his energy. Although Castiel didn't want to disturb him, as he knew the man hardly ever rested, he woke Dean up by pressing two fingers to his head.

Dean stirred from his slumber, to find his angel hovering over him with his arm and fingers extended towards his head. 'Woah, Cas? What the...' But his anger died a sudden death when he saw the look on his friend's face. Something bad had happened, he could tell. 'What?' He asked, dreading the answer.

'I have very bad news Dean. Ruby plans to kill Lilith tonight to open the last seal on Lucifer's cage. Sam is with her. She is going to need him to perform the task. We need to stop them.' Castiel said in an urgent manner. 'We need to go now. Lara, stay strong.' Before leaving he acknowledged Lara with a slight nod. Not waiting for a response from either sibling, he pressed his fingers to Dean's head to transport them to the outside of the church Chuck had told him about.

Arriving at the church, Dean stumbled a little before growling. 'Cas, seriously, a little warning would be nice. And, how many times have we talked about this and the fact that you have no concept of personal space.' He rambled, because he didn't want his mind to get the chance to catch up to what was happening. And, he would have carried on had Cas not placed a hand on his mouth.

Castiel trained an intense gaze on Dean, his celestial blue eyes wide in horror and confusion. 'Dean, be quiet or else Ruby will know we are here.' He knew his charge was feeling scared and uncertain and therefore was trying to make himself feel better by not paying attention to the bigger problem. He knew the hunter better than anyone, even the hunter himself. After all, he had pieced back together his soul.

'What do you mean, Ruby will know. Use your angel mojo and make us invisible or something.' Dean demanded.

Castiel looked down, sorrowfully. 'Dean, my powers are diminished. I am not at one with the heavenly host at the moment. I am afraid my angel mojo will not be that powerful compared to the source of power Ruby has mastered. You will need to remain alert and on guard.' At his explanation, Dean started walking towards the entrance to the ancient church. 'Dean, wait.'

'Now what?' Dean felt agitated. He hated it when he wasn't in control of a situation. And, this seemed to be one of those instances. Nothing was in his control here. He couldn't have planned or prepared for any of it.

'I will prepare for the spell that will bind Lilith's powers to her vessel so she can do no further harm. Then she will roam the earth aimlessly until she is summoned back to hell. All I need you to do is to get in there safely and make sure Sam sees you before Ruby does. That will be crucial in determining what will come to pass. You told me, once, that you were the maker of your own destiny. Well, the time has come for you to prove it.' The angel felt shame for placing so much responsibility on his charge's shoulders but he had so much faith in his ability to save the world, his Father's creation. 'I will not show myself until Ruby is dead. Please, be careful.' He said an enochian prayer and pressed his fingers to Dean's head once again, after sharing a long stare with him.

A moment later, Dean found himself inside the church in a corridor lit with candles. He looked around at the statues of angels and shuddered. It felt so wrong to be carrying a demon knife into a place that was supposed to be sacred. He heard a chillingly evil voice all of a sudden. He looked ahead where the voice had come from. There seemed to be a room at the end of the corridor. It was brightly lit and it had a menacing aura to it.

Ignoring his initial instinct to get away, he stealthily made his way towards the room. As he got closer, he heard Ruby cooing at Sam as she spoke of the reasons why Sam should hurry up and kill Lilith. Suddenly, Dean's felt sick to his stomach. He wished Cas was there with him. But, he knew he had to dismiss his own feelings and treat this like he would any of his other hunts. Otherwise, he would have not only let down his brother, his angel or his sister but also the whole damned world.

Once he got to the doorway, he entered the room without being detected. His Dad would've been proud to see him at work. However, it wasn't the time to think of such matters. He concentrated his attention back on the scene that was unfolding in the room. The demon Lilith, dressed in a pure white bridal dress, was leaning against the marble altar that was situated in the middle of the room by the back wall. To Dean's horror, she was giving Sam an almost seductive look as she smirked devilishly.

He didn't know how he was going to get his little brother's attention before being discovered himself. Then an idea occurred to him. Because, he may be many things but cautious wasn't one of them. He blew his cover as soon as Ruby looked at Lilith with adoring eyes. He ran towards her, knife aimed at her. He had the element of surprise for a split second before Ruby's shocked eyes turned black and she moved to strike at him.

'Ruby, no.' Sam pleaded as he seemed to come out of a trance-like state.

The distraction of Sam's voice, which annoyed Ruby enough to make her look at him, was enough time for Dean to twist the knife and bury it up to the hilt in her heart. She gave a broken wail before she fell to the ground, lifeless and as cold as her personality had always been.

'Dean...' Sam gave the older Winchester a shocked look. 'What...' It seemed he was incapable of forming a sentence.

Dean wanted to pummel his brother so badly. But first, he needed to make sure everything was okay. He prayed to Cas with some affection, rather than his usual get-your-feathery-ass-down call. 'Cas, Ruby is dead. You can come now.' He didn't feel like disrespecting the only person who understood him and believed in him so completely.

Hearing Dean's prayer, Castiel tilted his head in a confused and curious manner. His charge had never called him with such respect before. He must be feeling distress and trying to find comfort and calm, the angel analysed. Heeding the call, he took flight with his spell stored behind his gaze. As soon as he materialized in the room, he felt awful. He realized his feelings were due to the presence of hell's whore. 'Close your eyes.' He shouted at the humans in the same moment he opened his own eyes and trained his spell-binding gaze on Lilith's angry figure.

A few seconds passed with bright white light flooding the room and penetrating the demon's dark being which was encased in the human body she was using. Then a sudden jolt, like an earthquake, ran through Castiel and he knew the spell had been successfully performed. Lilith fell to the floor, unconscious.

At first, he had had doubts as he had not been completely sure of the workings of the spell. He knew it was necessary to say the spell in enochian but had not known if he could say it using his eyes or if he would have to use his true voice. He hadn't wanted to harm the humans present so had decided to try to say the spell with his eyes first. He was glad it had worked. It appeared everything had gone to plan for a change. Nevertheless, he felt drained.

'It is okay to open your eyes.' When the hunters opened their eyes, he nodded at them. And, then met Dean's eyes with concern. 'Dean, Lilith is powerless on earth now. She can't hurt anyone. She will roam the earth for a few more days until she has to return to hell.' He told them as he looked down on the demon. 'You did very good on your own. You didn't need my help.' He added as he met Dean's eyes meaningfully. He hoped he had said the right thing to answer his friend's silent doubts and thoughts as he saw him take a sharp breath.

Coming out of his daze, Dean was about to go to Castiel to join him at Lilith unconscious body, when he saw how bad and wrecked he looked. 'Cas, you look...oh my god.' He ran to his friend. He grabbed Cas before the angel fell over. Placing one arm around Castiel's waist and hooking the angel's arm over his own shoulder, Dean started walking out of the room. 'Sam, lead the way to the car you came in. Cas brought me here.' Giving his little brother a glare, he demanded. Despite promising himself that he wouldn't talk to Sam until he was ready, he broke his promise for the sake of Cas.

Sam moved to help Dean but his attempt was shot down with an abrupt bark of 'Don't you dare touch him.' So, instead he did what Dean told him to do. That didn't mean he wasn't still confused and shocked that Dean had killed Ruby and not Lilith. As if reading his mind, Castiel gave him an unreadable look before explaining, 'Lilith was the last seal to Lucifer's cage. And, Ruby was the demon who was trying to open the cage. She also put Lara under the sleeping spell.' After giving Sam his answer, he leaned more fully onto Dean and then shut his eyes. Sam felt slight envy to see the level of utter trust an angel had for his brother. Dean had never been a believer, whereas he had. But, praying to angels everyday hadn't gotten him a personal angel but rather a demon who had apparently used him to try to free the most wicked angel of them all.

He looked ahead to see Ruby's car come in view. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he had failed to realise when he had started leading the way to the car. 'Dean, will you be driving or shall I?' He looked at his brother whose complete attention was directed towards Castiel.

'You can drive. Its a short drive anyway. Take us to the hospital.' Dean responded and then turned back to watching Castiel's every move and every expression.

Sam got in the car and waited. He had thought that Dean would help Castiel into the backseat and then join him in the front in the passenger seat. He was wrong. Dean got in the backseat with Castiel, keeping his arm around the angel's waist, with Castiel's head placed on his shoulder. To say Sam was amazed would've been an understatement. Giving the backseat another bewildered look, he cleared his throat and set off for the hospital.

The drive to the hospital was silent. No one uttered a single word until they got there. As soon as Sam parked the car, Dean was out of the car, followed closely by Castiel. Sam was completely ignored as the other two trudged into the place. Flaring his nose in anger, he went after them. Only to see they were nowhere in sight. Realizing that Castiel must've transported them to Lara's room as it was a short distance, he walked to his sister's room alone.

Getting there, he found the angel sitting on her bed and Dean sitting on the chair beside the bed. They both looked his way when he all but stomped in. 'Dean, what the hell is going on?' He bitched but his brother turned his eyes back to their sister without giving him an answer.

'Your brother doesn't wish to talk to you right now. Give him time.' Castiel answered for Dean, which was the last straw that broke the camel's back.

'Since when do you answer for him anyway.' Sam felt livid. However, when Dean levelled him with a cold and dark stare, he couldn't help but cringe.

'Since he's proven not to stab me in the back and also he hasn't left me or Lara over a demon.' Dean stated, anger pouring out of him. 'It'll do you good, not to disrespect an angel of the Lord.' He added. And, the conversation ended at that.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25 -

Everyone had assumed that Ruby's demise would result in Lara waking up from her coma. However, she was still unconscious. When Dean had asked Castiel for an explanation, the angel had vaguely hinted that it was up to Lara herself now. So, the brothers and the angel silently sat vigil until Castiel left with the excuse that he needed to go back to heaven to restore his grace completely.

After hours of silence, the first to crack under the weight of the pressure that was building in the room was Sam. 'Dean, please can you hear me out?' Not getting any reaction other than Dean's eyes moving his way slightly, he carried on. 'Dean, for Lara's sake. She wouldn't be happy to wake up to us not speaking with each other.' He felt awful for using his baby sister to get Dean to talk to him but he had no other choice. And, he knew she wouldn't mind if she thought it would help.

Dean gave Sam a sharp look. 'Don't you dare bring Lara into this. What could you possibly say to make what you did okay? It's not okay, Sammy. No matter what you say.'

Sam felt so sad. 'Dean, I am so sorry for everything. Ruby found me in the bar and she told me that she had a solid lead on Lilith. She said Lilith had attacked Lara and she was planning on hurting others. What was I supposed to do? I didn't know Lilith was a seal. I wasn't thinking. I thought killing Lilith was the right thing to do. I should've told you about Ruby taking me with her. I should've done a lot of things I didn't do. If I had listened to you, all this wouldn't have happened. I know its my fault, Dean. And, I am willing to do anything to win your forgiveness and trust.' He said, tears falling from his puppy-dog eyes.

Dean sighed, dragging his hand over his tired face. He felt that the tension and strain was catching up to him. The events of late had been too much for him. 'What you did, can't be forgotten or forgiven that easily. I don't know how you can change my mind at the moment. One day I might forgive you but I can't just yet. I need time, Sam.' He admitted, trying to hold back his anger. Maybe his little brother had thought he was doing the right thing, but still he had gone off on his own and had trusted a demon over his own brother. If there was one thing unforgivable to him, it was putting others before family.

Sam nodded in understanding. Expecting Dean to forgive him had been asking for too much. He was glad at least his big brother had given him a chance to explain himself.

Unbeknownst to the Winchester brothers, Lara was stood listening to their little talk. She wished she could comfort her brothers. They looked so lost and hurt. That was when she felt her body call to her and she knew it was time to get back to the real world. She couldn't say she wasn't happy that she would be reunited with her body. She took a deep breath when she felt herself fade in the middle realm. The last thought that passed through her mind was, she was pleased that Castiel hadn't told her brothers about her being stuck watching them. Then, all feeling left her for a moment.

The next thing she remembered was surfacing in her physical body and becoming conscious with a gasp. She heard the machines going off with signals and noises. Her brothers frantically shouting at nurses and doctors. And, then she relaxed. Shutting her eyes momentarily, she gulped air and slowly opened them again. This time, the feeling of nausea didn't hit her and she directly looked at her brothers who were standing on either side of her bed, hovering over her. 'Dean, Sam...' She croaked out.

Dean gave her a smile and ruffled her hair in affection like he always did. She could see he had tears glistening in his eyes. Looking to Sam, she found her brother openly crying in relief. His dimples were more pronounced as he gave her a heartbreakingly adorable smile. She knew how her brothers were really holding up. All she wanted to do was to jump off the bed and encase them both in a hug to comfort them. Her lethargic body had other plans though as when she tried to sit up, she slumped back down against the cushions.

For a few minutes, the doctor and nurses carried on monitoring her vitals. Dean and Sam anxiously waited to hear what they would say. It was another case with Lara, she didn't care about what the doctor was going to say. She knew she was okay the moment she had heard the call from the physical realm. Rather than fret about her own health, she busied herself in studying her brothers. They looked ready to collapse, eyes weary and faces taut. They were both radiating tension like a volcano about to burst. Dean was eyeballing the doctor and nurses in anger as they prodded her. If she didn't know what her brothers had just been through, she would've found the situation hilarious.

'Right, Mr. Winchester.' The doctor addressed the older brother Dean, giving an acknowledging nod to the younger one, Sam.

'Call me Dean. Is my sister okay now?' He asked impatiently.

The doctor smiled but the confusion and amazement that was present on his face wasn't lost on the Winchesters. 'Your sister is back in good health. Whatever had caused the coma, has now fully healed on its own. I can't tell you much about the how and why. All I can say is it is a miracle. In my eighteen years of being a doctor, I have never met a case like your sister's. She seems to be handling everything quite well.' He reassured, smiling at his patient who was listening to him attentively.

'So, can we take her home?' Dean couldn't wait to get out of the damn hospital. He hated hospitals with a passion and he felt it would be better for Lara if they headed back to Bobby's for a while. They all needed to rest and collect themselves. All of them had been through a lot in the past few days. It was time to recuperate.

Doctor Graham could see that the Winchesters wanted to leave the hospital as soon as possible. Not being one to rain on someone's parade, he let them have their happiness. 'You can take her home as soon as you sign the release forms. Do you have insurance or will you be paying?' He couldn't help his confusion from rearing its head when they all exchanged a look that clearly said they hadn't been thinking about that. He understood that the brothers had been worried about their little sister. But, any normal person would've thought about the expenses as well. Maybe the fact that they had never struck him as normal explained their reactions.

That was when the doctor had the biggest shock of his life. A man, dressed in a suit and a trench coat, materialised out of thin air. One minute he wasn't there and the next moment he was stood next to the older brother, looking down at Lara. The Winchesters treated it like it was a daily occurrence and not a big deal at all. 'Everything is okay now.' His voice had a commanding quality to it like a soldier or a warrior of some sort.

Finding his voice, the doctor let out a sharp gasp. 'Where did you... who are you?' He barely managed to croak out. The man answered by walking up to him and placing to fingers to his head.

Sam placed the doctor's unconscious body on the chair. 'Castiel, did you have to do that?' He felt bad for the poor doctor. His first encounter with an angel of the Lord ended up with him passing out at the hands of the same angel.

'I came to get all of you out of here because I was made aware that you can not pay as you have revealed your true identity. I will transport you to Bobby's now.' Castiel looked at Dean as he said this.

'How were you made aware that we can't pay?' Lara asked, curiously. She had a suspicion the angel's answer was going to be something that needed to be heard. He looked pretty embarrassed about something. She couldn't wait to hear what was making the already awkward angel act uncomfortable.

Castiel blushed, to everyone's surprise. 'I picked up on Dean feeling worried about something. So, I listened into his thoughts for a bit.'

Lara was amused to see Dean blush at the angel's answer. It was the first time she had seen them both blush.

Dean made a show of being annoyed once he was over his initial embarrassment. 'I told you not to listen into my thoughts.'

'I have only been doing it because I wanted to know when Lara woke up. I don't have a link with her so I can't listen into her thoughts.'

If it was possible, Dean blushed harder at Castiel's admission. Trying to divert attention away from himself, he started to fire questions at Cas. 'What about the doctor? When he wakes up he'll remember everything. He'll think we are running some kind of scam. If you zap us out of here, then what about my baby? I can't leave her here.'

Castiel met his charge's gaze and held it. 'I will wipe the memory of the doctor and all the nurses who came into contact with you after I take you all to Bobby's. And, Dean I will take the Impala with me to Bobby's home on my last trip here. I can do all this in less than a minute if you are now ready to leave.' He moved to Dean and then placed a gentle hand on Lara's head. 'I think I will take Lara on her own.' Cas and Lara were both gone in a blink. A mere second later, Cas reappeared in the same spot and gestured for Sam to join both himself and Dean. Then, he placed two fingers from each of his arms on each of their foreheads.

Dean shut his eyes to blink. When he opened them, he was stood in the middle of Bobby's living room with Sam at his side, clutching his head. Out of instinct, Dean asked, 'You okay, Sammy?' Getting a nod, he looked around to find the angel had already left. Lara and Bobby weren't in the room. At this realization, his heart stuttered briefly until he heard voices in the kitchen. Sam had heard as well because he was already making his way to the other occupants of the house.

Before Dean could follow his brother to the kitchen, he heard the familiar sound of wings beating the air. 'Cas...' He breathed, even before the angel could be seen.

Castiel felt some un-named emotion rise in him as it always did when Dean said his name like that, with such awe and reverence. Blue met green as they gave each other their usual long stare. 'I have erased the memories of all those who came into contact with you and your siblings in the hospital. I have also transported your baby here. You will find the car in its, sorry I mean her, usual place.'

Under the angel's intense stare, Dean felt flustered. 'Thanks Cas. Thanks for everything.' However hard it was to say, he meant it with all of his heart. 'I don't know what I would do without you.' For the first time, he let his defences fall. He wanted to be honest with his best friend. Because, that was the truth. Cas was not only his best friend but also the only friend he had ever had. 'Cas, do you have to be somewhere? You know, heavenly duties?'

Castiel shook his head. He was confused as to why Dean would take an interest in heaven. He was aware of his friend's dislike of everything heavenly. 'No. I have free time.'

'What do you angels do in free time? I mean, do you have a date or something lined up?' Dean asked, scratching the back of his head in nervousness. He didn't know if he was offending his friend or not. Cas was always so serious. Sometimes it was hard to know what would be pushing the limits with him.

Again, very confused, Cas hesitantly answered. 'Some angels stay in their homes and gardens in heaven. Others like to watch Father's creations. I know some of my brethren come and walk amongst humans but in an invisible realm.'

Dean didn't let Cas finish. His friend seemed to be avoiding the personal question by talking about other angels. 'What do you like to do... what would you have done now?'

'Since I have been away from my brethren and the heavenly host for so long, the call to my grace is diminished. That is reason why, as of late, I have been spending my free time mostly on earth.' Unbeknown to Cas, Dean felt a pang of jealousy at the thought that some other human might have amused his angel enough for him to spend his free time watching them. Dean's feelings were unfounded though. 'I have found that I quite like to sit on top of Mount Everest in Nepal. It is possibly the most peaceful place on earth and I can tune in to hearing whatever I want to hear to as it sounds better up there. And, I also feel closer to heaven up in the clouds.' Cas explained with a shy smile.

Dean let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. Relief flooded him for some reason unknown to him. 'Well, that must be nice. I was only asking because I thought maybe you'd like to stick around here if you didn't have anything better to do.' He knew the angel would prefer to spend his time on the mountain, he shouldn't have asked. Now, the angel was going to feel obligated to doing what he said.

'I would like that very much, thank you.' Cas smiled, his bright blue eyes sparkling with a celestial light. 'And, Dean, it is not because I feel obligated to do as you say. I really do want to stick around here with you and your family.' He gave Dean a timid look.

'Did you just read my mind?' Dean was mortified.

Cas shook his head. 'I know you better than you know yourself. After all, I pieced back your soul. I don't need to read your mind to know how you think.' He shrugged.

Satisfied with the angel's explanation, Dean started to amble along to the kitchen. 'Come on then. The others will be wondering where the hell we have gone.'

Castiel followed Dean, his friend and his charge who he had complete faith in, just like he always had and always will.

Lara looked up to find Dean coming into the kitchen followed by his ever faithful angel. And, a thought stirred in her mind. She didn't know if it was divine intervention or her own imagination but in that moment she saw the solution to her brother Dean's loneliness and lack of true companion. The beginnings of a plot started to form in her mischievous mind. Slowly but surely, she was going to make sure her brothers got the happiness and comfort they deserved.

**A/N; This is the penultimate chapter, so those of you who want a quick update review the chapters... don't just fav this story without also reviewing though i thank you guys for that too... its just i want to know if it is any good... is my writing still up to standard or has it gone crappy? thanks to all of those who have reviewed in the past 24 chapters... last chapter will be up soon... stay tuned, not long to go xxx**


	26. Chapter 26

Epilogue -

A year had passed since the apocalypse was averted by the Winchesters. Presently, both brothers and their baby sister were on a hunt in Maine. An old man who had recently passed away had made an appearance at his own funeral. If that wasn't strange enough, he had wreaked havoc and tried to harm his own family.

'Seriously, I think the old man isn't the one whose in the wrong here. I mean, his son and all of his family treated him so bad whilst he was alive. But now they're okay to pretend to people that they loved him, just because he was rich. I hate hypocrites.' Lara walked between her brothers, with Dean leading and Sam bringing up the rear. She had vehemently argued against the planned salt 'n' burn since she had found out about who the old man was.

Dean shook his head in amusement. 'Lara, we have discussed this before. I don't want to hear anything about it again.' He replied, never leaving his eyes from the graveyard ahead. He smiled when there was a silent pause before his baby sister started showing her disagreement again by huffing loudly.

'But...' Lara started but was cut off by Dean.

'Pay attention. I don't want you to get hurt by any spirit that might decide to show up to the party. Don't forget, this is your first official hunt so you gotta handle it properly or else no more hunting for you in the future. Then, you can start looking for another career.' Dean tried to sound bossy and assertive. However, his efforts were fruitless. The kid didn't seem to be paying any attention to his opinion whatsoever, as she went about marching to her destination in anger.

Lara knew she pretty much had her brothers wrapped around her little finger in most cases. They just didn't listen to her when it came to hunting. She knew they were the experts in the field but she didn't appreciate their dismissal of her hunting opinion. In her annoyance, she decided to embarrass Dean. 'Well, if something happens to me you can always call on Cas to fix me. That is if you both find enough time to do anything other than stare into each others' eyes.' She laughed when he turned red like a ripe tomato.

Dean huffed. 'Lara, you should be paying attention to the hunt, not your non-existent fantasies.' He didn't know where she had gotten the idea that he and Cas were more than friends but she had been throwing hints at them all the time recently. She was relentless in trying to get her ideas across. Especially, regarding her assumptions about them. Although, he would never admit it out loud but it was making him think about it too.

The Winchester soon found the body of the poor man. The gravestone looked pretty new as it hadn't been long since he had passed away.

Lara pouted. The corpse hadn't turned to bones yet and her eldest brother was making her torch the body. It was a good job, she had developed a strong stomach over the past year. Not much fazed her anymore. Her only problem with this hunt was that she truly believed the old man deserved his revenge.

Despite feeling heavy-hearted for the deceased, she decided to drop the subject of saving him. She had tried her best. She could keep arguing with her brothers till sunrise and they would still be here, adamant that the old man should be burned. She was stubborn enough to do it, just to irritate them. However it wasn't worth it as she was aware of her brothers' intentions being good. And, she also knew they wanted her to say that she didn't want to hunt. Which she would never do because she did want to hunt. She liked the idea of saving people, hunting evil things and it was her family business. A family business she was proud of. 'Sammy?'

'Lara, we have talked about this. We go with what Dean says. Okay?' Sam gave his little sister an encouraging smile.

'Okay.' She nodded. For the past year, that had been the most likely answer from Sam when it came to hunting. It was obvious he still felt bad for what had happened in the past. She sighed. She wished Sam could loosen up a little. She was gonna have to do something about him.

One and a half hour later, they were driving back to the motel they were currently staying at. Everyone was quiet which was not usually the case with Lara being a chatter-box. Tonight, she was sulking. The poor man's ghost hadn't even tried to harm anyone of them. He had turned up and watched her silently. He had looked so sad when she had lit the match.

'I hate this job.' She muttered.

'What?' Dean sighed in relief as he asked. He had been hoping to hear something like that. It was the reason why he had told Cas to track down the most lovable ghost in all of US for her first case.

'You wanted me to say that, right? That's why you gave me this easy hunt. Where I get to torch Casper. Damn, he was friendlier than Casper. I can't believe you guys would do this to me. I am never speaking to you again, Dean. I know you picked this case.' She stated, folding her arms over her chest in anger.

Dean felt panic rise in him at her threat. 'Okay. I admit it I did it on purpose. I'm sorry. Please, forgive me. I'll do anything, I swear.'

That's what she liked to hear. She smiled inwardly. 'Fine. I am gonna need you to suffer. Let's see. Yeah, I know. You have to take Cas on a date.'

The car nearly swerved of the road and crashed into the nearest tree. Just barely saving his baby, Dean squeaked. 'What?'

Sam was laughing, clutching his stomach in hysterics. His sister always came up with the best punishments for them, especially Dean. If she wasn't his sister, he would've thought she might've been related to the trickster.

'You promised.' Lara pouted, making an innocent and hurt face. 'Otherwise, I'm never talking to you. Sammy can talk on behalf of me if I have something to say to you.' She knew her brother could never live without her talking to him. So, she knew she had won when she came up with the idea. He never denied her anything.

'Fine.' Dean knew he couldn't refuse. Come to think of it, the punishment wasn't that bad really. He was just going to spend some quality time with his best friend. No big deal.

Lara was studying her brother and she saw the barely-there smiled that formed on his face as he started to think about the punishment. She still had a lot in store for him. He had no idea how creative she could be if she put her mind to it. It was going to be fun watching them. From now on, everything was going to be okay. As long as everything went exactly like she planned.

The End

_**A/N; **_

_**I thank all my readers, reviewers, favers, alerters etc... I love you all... If it wasn't for you, i may have not gotten this finished... I would like to send a cyber-imaginary-hug to all of you... I really hope you liked this story, pls let me know it will mean a lot as it always does... I would like to ask for another favor if you guys have time and if its no bother, go to my profile and pls answer my poll... thanks again xxx  
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